a 


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Extra  Number  C 


THE    TEACHING 

OF    ENGLISH    CLASSICS 

IN    THE    GRAMMAR 

GRADES 

Suggestions  for  Study,  Questions 
and  Subjects  for  Written 
Exercises  on  the  Stand- 
ard Literature 

BY 
EUGENE  CLARENCE  WARRINER 


HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN   COMPANY 
BOSTON,  NEW  YORK,  AND  CHICAGO 

Cambridge 


Price,  paper,  1 5  cents. 


The  Riverside  Literature  Series 


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HOUGHTON   MIFFLIN   COMPANY 

BOSTON  NEW  YORK  CHICAGO 


Hifcersiae  ^literature  Aeries 


THE  TEACHING  OF 

ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE 

GRAMMAR  GRADES 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  STUDY,  QUESTIONS,  AND 

SUBJECTS  FOR  WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

ON  STANDARD  LITERATURE 

BY 
EUGENE  CLARENCE  WARRINER 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS 
SAGINAW,  MICHIGAN 


BOSTON    NEW  YORK    CHICAGO 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLJNCOMPANY 

ftifcer^iDe 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 1 

COMMENT  AND  QUESTIONS 

Hawthorne's  Wonder-Book           .....  5 

Dickens's  A  Christmas  Carol 12 

Whittier's  Snow-Bound 22 

Warner's  A-Hunting  of  the  Deer          ....  35 

Longfellow's  Evangeline       ......  40 

Irving's  Rip  Van  Winkle 59 

Goldsmith's  The  Deserted  Village        .     '    .         .         .67 

Moores's  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln       ....  74 

Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Speech        .....  84 

Lowell's  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal      ....  87 

Shakespeare's  Julius  Csesar ......  94 

Tennyson's  Enoch  Arden      ......  Ill 

APPENDIX.   A  READING  COURSE  FOR  THE  GRADES        .  123 


COPYRIGHT,    1913,   BY   EUGENE   CLARENCE   WARRINER 
ALL  RIGHTS   RESERVED 


CAMBR-DGE   .MASSACHUSETTS 
U    .    S    .    A 


THE  TEACHING  OF  ENGLISH 

CLASSICS  IN  THE   GRAMMAR 

GRADES 

INTRODUCTION 

THE  New  Education  has  been  teaching  English  Classics 
for  a  generation  now,  with  one  avowed  purpose,  to  make 
our  boys  and  girls  love  good  literature.  It  is  a  matter  of 
common  regret  that  this  teaching  of  literature  has  not  been 
so  successful  as  had  been  hoped  for.  Our  pupils  do  not  love 
good  reading  as  we  had  hoped  they  would.  Many  explana- 
tions may  be  offered  for  this  failure,  but  the  great  reason 
why  good  literature  is  not  better  loved  and  more  read  by 
our  boys  and  girls  is  that  we  aim  at  the  wrong  goal  in  teach- 
ing it.  We  make  literature  a  vehicle  for  teaching  the  en- 
cyclopedia, when  we  should  teach  it  for  the  joy  which  natur- 
ally flows  out  of  it.  We  make  the  study  of  Evangeline  or 
Rip  Van  Winkle  or  the  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  hard  and 
dry  by  spending  the  time  on  word-drill,  with  the  result  that 
our  pupils  breathe  a  long  sigh  of  relief  when  they  shut  the 
book,  instead  of  panting  for  more.  It  is  easier  to  teach  this 
miscellaneous  matter  —  history,  geography,  science  —  than 
to  teach  literature  —  joy,  beauty,  emotion  ;  this  is  why  we 
have  degenerated  in  our  teaching  of  literature.  To  get  out 
of  this  rut  up  to  a  higher  level,  the  teacher  must  love  litera- 
ture and  then  try  to  inspire  this  love  in  others. 

The  purpose  of  the  notes  and  suggestive  questions  of- 
fered in  this  book  is  to  help  the  teacher  to  see  literature  in 
the  large.  The  meanings  of  words,  historical  allusions,  mis- 
cellaneous references  have  a  place  in  the  study  of  literature 
only  to  make  clear  the  general  putpo&e^  £ho'  underlying  mo- 
tive in  the  literature.  The  teachef  must  'then  have  a  genuine 
appreciation  of  the  piece  in  hand' before  fie ''be^iiw'to  'teach 

261254 


2          ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

it.  This  appreciation  does  not  always  leap  into  immediate 
being.  Reading  and  re-reading,  reflection,  thought,  are  often 
necessary  before  the  meaning  is  clear.  A  little  more  self- 
questioning  on  the  teacher's  part,  a  little  more  intellectual 
ingenuity,  a  keener  glance  from  some  new  angle  of  approach, 
and  the  vague  meaning  and  the  obscure  beauty  are  happily 
disclosed.  Unless  one  appreciates  and  loves  what  he  is  to 
teach,  he  cannot  inspire  appreciation  and  love  in  his  pupils. 
Unless  the  teacher  realizes  the  author's  aim,  he  will  miss 
the  point  in  teaching  the  piece  of  literature.  But  once  this 
aim  is  comprehended,  the  vision  brightens  under  the  en- 
lightened gaze  and  enjoyment  grows  as  we  enter  more  fully 
into  the  intimate  companionship  of  the  author. 

A  piece  of  literature  worthy  to  be  studied  in  school,  — 
all  the  classics  contained  in  the  Riverside  Literature  Series, 
—  every  such  piece  of  literature  is  a  work  of  art,  of  fine 
art.  It  represents  an  idea,  —  one  fundamental  idea, — 
just  as  a  painting,  a  sculpture,  an  oratorio  stands  for  one 
idea.  This  idea  is  the  motif  of  the  piece.  To  find  what  this 
motif  is,  is  the  primary  purpose  of  reading  any  piece  of 
literature.  Sometimes  this  purpose  is  stated  in  terms  at  the 
outset,  as  in  the  opening  lines  of  Evangeline  ;  sometimes  it 
is  not  discovered  until  the  piece  is  partially  or  entirely  read, 
as  in  the  Christmas  Carol.  The  kind  of  motif  is  very  varied. 
In  Enoch  Arden  it  is  the  noblest  emotion  of  the  soul,  self- 
denial  ;  in  Rip  Van  Winkle,  it  is  the  embodiment  of  an 
interesting  story  ;  in  the  Wonder-Book,  it  is  the  reproduction 
of  some  ancient  legends  ;  in  Snow-Bound,  the  apotheosis 
of  home  life ;  —  but  always  there  is  the  theme  which  must 
be  discovered  before  the  piece  of  literature  can  be  under- 
stood or  taught. 

When  an  author,  then,  has  his  motif,  his  task  is  to  ex- 
press it,  to  express  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  bring  to  his  reader 
the  same  motif  as  the  author  had ;  and,  secondly,  although 
it  is  hardly  second  either,  the  author's  task  is  to  give  to  his 
readejrj  jpyt  and  sattef  ato&oji  as  he  reads.  A  piece  of  literature, 
a  classic','  must'  Irave  fir^st'  a  great  theme,  then  it  must  be 
we'll  te&pfeg&.ct.'.^iiobfo  .the'm'e  sometimes  fails  to  produce 


INTRODUCTION  3 

a  lasting  piece  of  literature,  because  it  is  expressed  in  a 
commonplace  way,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  common- 
place theme  is  often  expressed  in  noble  language.  When 
the  two  unite,  we  have  the  greatest  literature.  Rip  Van 
Winkle  is  great  because  of  the  story-teller's  art  in  telling  it, 
because  he  has  chosen  his  language  so  well  and  arranged 
his  incidents  so  well  as  to  hold  our  interest  to  the  end, 
while  in  Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Speech  and  in  Evangeline, 
we  have  great  motifs  expressed  in  superb  language,  thus 
making  the  greatest  literature. 

"When  now  the  teacher  has  determined  in  his  own  mind 
the  motif  of  the  author  in  the  literature  to  be  read  and  has 
come  to  appreciate  its  beauty,  he  is  ready  to  teach  it.  This 
teaching  should  be  for  the  most  part  in  the  large.  Too  much 
dissection  may  produce  a  hatred  rather  than  a  love  for  the 
piece.  At  the  same  time  the  full  beauty  of  thought  and  ex- 
pression can  only  be  appreciated  by  an  examination  of  the 
details  of  the  piece.  The  smaller  divisions  are  to  be  related 
to  the  larger  whole.  Words,  figures,  allusions,  will  all  con- 
tribute their  cooperative  functions  and  the  whole  will  finally 
come  to  exist  as  a  unit ;  its  separate  coordinating  parts  and 
its  beauty  and  elaboration  of  detail  will  contribute  to  the 
harmony  and  perfection  of  this  unit. 

The  teacher  will  find  much  valuable  aid  for  the  teaching 
of  literature  in  the  following  books,  all  published  by  Hough- 
ton  Mifflin  Company.  (1)  McMurry's  How  to  Study  and 
Teaching  How  to  Study.  In  this  book  Professor  McMurry 
analyzes  study  into  eight  factors,  examines  the  nature  of 
each  factor  and  gives  many  definite,  practical  suggestions 
for  teaching  pupils  how  to  apply  these  factors  in  their  every- 
day studying.  (2)  Betts's  The  Recitation  (Riverside  Edu- 
cational Monographs).  This  little  book,  the  result  of  the 
author's  own  classroom  work,  is  full  of  common-sense  ad- 
vice on  the  art  of  questioning,  the  assignment  of  the  lesson, 
topical  and  question-and-answer  methods  of  conducting  the 
recitation,  etc.  (3)  Haliburton  and  Smith's  Teaching  Poetry 
in  the  Grades  (Riverside  Educational  Monographs)  contains 


4  ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

an  admirable  preface  on  the  method  of  teaching  poetry  as 
well  as  studies  of  individual  poems  for  the  various  grades. 

The  suggestions  in  the  following  pages  are  intended  to 
supplement  the  help  afforded  in  the  various  numbers  of  the 
Riverside  Literature  Series.  The  references  to  lines  and 
pages  all  indicate  the  Riverside  Literature  Series  edition  of 
English  Classics. 


HAWTHORNE'S  WONDER-BOOK1 

THE  Wonder-Book  is  best  adapted  to  children  of  the  fifth 
and  sixth  grade  age.  It  is  easy  reading  for  seventh  and  eighth 
grade  pupils.  They  should  have  stronger  meat.  But  for  the 
fifth  or  sixth  grade,  the  Wonder-Book  is  an  ideal  classic  for 
schoolroom  reading.  The  stories  are  intrinsically  and  in- 
tensely interesting,  while  the  charming  style  of  the  writing, 
the  keen  wit,  and  the  large  vocabulary,  especially  adapted 
to  the  expanding  mind  of  the  eleven-year-old  child,  combine 
to  make  this  a  perfect  reading-book. 

As  in  reading  any  classic,  the  story  is  the  first  consider- 
ation. Pupils  should  be  able  to  tell  the  story  as  far  as  they 
have  read  at  any  time,  but  they  should  also  be  led  to  appre- 
ciate the  beauty  of  the  author's  style  —  the  fine  choice  of 
words,  the  fitting  imagery,  the  vivid  descriptions,  the  cap- 
tivating narration.  In  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades,  word-study 
with  the  dictionary  will  be  necessary,  as  many  of  the  words 
are  outside  the  young  child's  vocabulary.  But  word-study 
should  never  be  allowed  to  monopolize  the  time  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  an  appreciation  of  the  story.  The  most  important 
result  of  the  study  of  the  Wonder-Book  should  be  a  desire 
to  read  more  of  these  stories.  Pupils  should  call  for  Tangle- 
wood- Tales  when  the  Wonder-Book  is  finished.  As  the 
Wonder-Book  is  read  primarily  for  its  meaning,  and  not  as 
an  exercise  in  vocal  expression,  a  large  part  of  the  class- 
work  should  be  silent  reading.  That  is,  a  certain  passage,  a 
paragraph  or  part  of  a  paragraph,  according  to  the  difficulty, 
is  assigned  to  the  class  to  read  silently ;  when  a  sufficient 
time  for  the  reading  has  elapsed,  the  pupils  are  to  close 
their  books  and  someone  is  called  on  to  tell  in  his  own 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  Nos.  17 
and  18,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


6          ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

language  the  meaning  of  what  has  been  read.  When  this 
has  been  done,  he  or  another  pupil  may  be  asked  to  read  the 
passage  orally.  By  this  plan,  the  teacher  may  be  sure  of 
ascertaining  whether  the  pupils  understand  what  they  are 
reading,  whereas  this  is  not  always  certain  if  oral  reading 
alone  is  relied  on.  The  oral  reading,  too,  will  be  improved 
when  it  is  considered  as  a  special  part  of  the  class  exer- 
cise. The  teacher  will  do  well  to  assign  in  advance  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  lesson  for  oral  reading,  to  the  end  that 
pupils  may  give  special  study  to  the  pronunciation  of  the 
words  and  to  the  proper  emphasis  of  the  passage.  Certain 
pupils  may  also  be  appointed  from  day  to  day  to  read 
selected  passages  of  the  lesson.  This  special  assignment 
will  provide  a  definite  motive,  which  must  underlie  all 
real  study. 

Teachers  will  understand  in  using  the  following  suggest- 
ive questions  that  many  other  questions  are  to  be  asked 
besides  those  here  given.  The  more  obvious  questions,  having 
to  do  with  the  meaning  of  words  and  common  expressions, 
are  omitted  with  the  expectation  that  teachers  will  naturally 
ask  them  without  definite  suggestion  here.  Pupils  are  to  be 
responsible  for  the  meaning  of  everything  in  the  text.  If 
some  of  the  suggestions  seem  simple,  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  they  are  designed  for  the  fifth  grade.  Should  the  book 
be  used  in  the  higher  grades,  the  teacher  will  adapt  the 
questions  to  the  grade.  Since  the  same  method  of  teaching 
is  to  be  followed  with  all  the  stories,  only  The  Gorgon's 
Head  is  here  annotated. 


QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Page  15.  Tanglewood  Porch.  The  teacher  himself  is 
strongly  urged  to  read  this  introduction  to  the  pupils  and  to 
let  the  pupils  begin  their  work  with  the  story  proper  on  page 
21.  This  is  suggested  for  these  reasons  :  the  introduction  is 
rather  long  and  pupils  are  apt  to  lose  interest  if  they  are  re- 
quired to  labor  through  it ;  it  contains  several  passages  quite 
difficult  for  ten-year-olds  to  comprehend,  which  may  dis- 


HAWTHORNE'S  WONDER-BOOK  7 

courage  them  at  the  start ;  and  again,  the  teacher  will  thus 
set  a  high  standard  of  reading  and  will  show  the  pupils  what 
is  expected  of  them,  both  in  appreciation  of  content  and  in 
oral  expression. 

Page  21.  These  stories  not  being  divided  into  sections, 
an  opportunity  is  here  afforded  to  teach  pupils  to  select 
titles  for  the  various  units  into  which  any  story  may  be 
divided.  This  is  an  excellent  teaching  device,  as  it  leads 
pupils  to  look  at  things  in  the  large  and  also  teaches  them  to 
discriminate  among  larger  and  smaller  ideas.  In  the  first 
story,  The  Gorgon's  Head,  the  teacher  should  indicate  what 
the  divisions  are,  the  pupils  to  give  the  title.  In  later  stories, 
tl  e  pupils  may  well  be  called  upon  to  find  the  unit  groups 
and  name  them  also.  Each  section,  chapter,  or  unit  of  the 
story,  whichever  it  may  be  called,  should  be  read  and  studied 
by  itself. 

SECTION  I  (through  line  16,  page  21).  What  title  may 
we  give  this  paragraph  ?  The  teacher  may  need  to  suggest 
one  or  two  titles  at  first  to  show  the  pupils  what  is  meant, 
as  The  Floating  Chest,  or  Per  sens  and  his  Mother  thrown 
on  Seriphus,  or  Perseus  and  Danae. 

Page  21,/^e  1.  Danae  (pronounced  D3nr  a  e).  For  the 
pronunciation  of  other  proper  names,  consult  the  Index  of 
Mythology  at  the  back  of  the  book.  The  teacher  should  in- 
sist from  the  first  that  every  proper  name  be  correctly  pro- 
nounced. Nothing  shows  accurate  scholarship  so  plainly  as 
the  pronunciation  of  proper  names. 

Page  21,  line  21.  Refer  to  the  notes  at  the  back  of  the 
book,  page  197,  for  additional  information. 

SECTION  II.  The  Dangerous  Enterprise  (through  line  15, 
page  23). 

Page  22,  line  9.  How  would  you  describe  the  king's  char- 
acter as  shown  in  his  conversation  with  Perseus  in  this  sec- 
tion ?  What  word  in  this  line  tells  what  sort  of  man  the  king 
was?  Find  another  word  several  lines  below  which  also 
describes  the  king. 

Why  do  you  think  Perseus  was  so  ready  to  set  out  on  this 
undertaking  ? 


8  ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

SECTION  III.  How  the  People  of  Seriphus  felt  (through 
line  32,  page  23).  What  leads  us  to  sympathize  with  Per- 
seus from  the  start? 

SECTION  IV.  The  Gorgons  (through  line  2,  page  25). 
After  having  read  this  account  of  the  Gorgons,  describe 
them  in  your  own  words.  Then  take  your  pencil  and  draw  a 
picture  of  a  Gorgon  as  you  see  her. 

Page  24,  lines  11  and  12.  Why  does  Hawthorne  use  so 
many  different  words,  twisting,  wriggling,  etc.,  to  describe 
the  snaky  locks  ? 

Page  24,  line  19.  Tell  what  different  idea  is  added  by 
each  of  the  words,  pure,  bright,  glittering,  burnished. 

SECTION  V.  How  Perseus  felt  (through  line  30,  page  25). 
Was  Perseus  sorry  that  he  had  undertaken  the  enterprise  ? 
Giye  reasons  for  your  answer. 

SECTION  VI.  Quicksilver  offers  Aid  (through  line  29, 
page  26).  Pick  out  the  words  used  to  describe  Quicksilver 
that  make  you  think  Perseus  would  be  attracted  to  him  ;  as, 
brisk,  cheerful,  etc. 

SECTION  VII.  Quicksilver's  Advice  (through  line  11, 
page  28). 

Page  27,  line  9.  Why  did  Quicksilver  smile  in  a  mis- 
chievous way  ? 

Page  28,  line  5.  Why  was  Perseus  so  ready  to  do  as 
Quicksilver  advised  ? 

SECTION  VIII.  Quicksilver  tells  Perseus  about  the  Three 
Gray  Women  (through  line  3,  page  29).  How  do  you  think 
Perseus  felt  when  told  of  so  many  new  adventures  which 
he  must  go  through  ? 

Page  28,  line  16.  Why  are  the  words  Three  Gray 
Women  printed  with  capital  letters  ? 

SECTION  IX.  Quicksilver  and  Perseus  set  out  on  the 
Journey  (through  line  11,  page  30).  Pick  out  all  the  words 
in  this  section  which  show  that  the  companions  could  go 
quickly,  as,  brisk,  nimble,  etc. 

Page  30,  line  7.  Explain  carefully  the  meaning  of  the 
sentence  beginning  He  evidently  knew. 

SECTION  X.   Quicksilver  describes  his  Sister  (through 


HAWTHORNE'S  WONDER-BOOK  9 

line  2,  page  31).  Describe  in  your  own  words  the  contrast 
between  Quicksilver  and  his  sister. 

SECTION  XL  More  about  the  Three  Gray  Women 
(through  line  4,  page  32). 

Page  31,  line  3.  Make  a  list  of  the  words  in  this  para- 
graph that  show  what  a  gloomy  place  they  were  going 
through  and  tell  which  word  makes  you  see  the  scene  most 
plainly. 

SECTION  XII.  Perseus  catches  sight  of  the  Three  Gray 
Women  (through  line  35,  page  32).  Describe  how  you 
think  Perseus  felt  when  he  saw  the  Three  Gray  Women. 

Get  a  copy  of  Homer's  Odyssey  and  read  in  Book  IX  the 
account  of  Odysseus 's  adventure  with  the  one-eyed  giant 
Cyclops,  Polyphemus. 

SECTION  XIII.  The  Three  Gray  Women  quarrel  over 
their  eye  (through  line  2,  page  34).  Why  do  you  think 
Hawthorne  gave  such  names  to  the  three  sisters  ?  (See  page 
197.) 

SECTION  XIV.  Perseus  seizes  the  eye  (through  line  28, 
page  34).  Why  do  you  think  Perseus  took  the  eye  ? 

SECTION  XV.  Perseus  asks  the  Way  to  the  Nymphs 
(through  line  15,  page  36). 

Page  35,  line  30.  Give  other  examples  of  Perseus's 
politeness. 

Page  36,  line  3.  Why  did  the  sisters  appear  to  be  aston- 
ished ? 

SECTION  XVI.  Perseus  learns  the  Way  to  the  Nymphs 
(through  line  19,  page  37).  What  traits  of  character  in 
Perseus  are  shown  in  this  paragraph  ? 

Page  37,  line  15.  Explain  the  humor  in  this  sentence. 

SECTION  XVII.  Perseus  gets  the  Wallet  and  the  Winged 
Slippers  (through  line  28,  page  38).  How  did  Perseus  feel 
when  he  had  secured  the  wallet  and  slippers  ? 

SECTION  XVIII.  The  Invisible  Helmet  (through  line 
26,  page  39).  What  sort  of  picture  have  you  of  Perseus 
from  the  description  given  in  this  section  ? 

SECTION  XIX.  Perseus  and  Quicksilver  sail  through  the 
Air  (through  line  15,  page  40).  Try  to  imagine  yourself 


10         ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

flying  through  the  sky  as  Perseus  did.  Describe  how  the 
earth  would  look  to  you. 

SECTION  XX.  Perseus  discovers  the  Gorgons  (through 
line  15,  page  41).  Go  back  to  trace  the  steps  by  which 
Quicksilver  led  Perseus  to  find  the  Gorgons.  What  mirac- 
ulous or  extraordinary  assistance  had  he  had  ? 

SECTION  XXI.  The  Gorgons  (through  line  13,  page  42). 
Find  the  description  of  the  Gorgons  already  given  at  the 
beginning  of  the  story  and  tell  what  additional  information 
is  given  in  this  section.  What  new  words  or  expressions  are 
used  in  this  description  ? 

SECTION  XXII.  Perseus  kills  Medusa  (through  line  3, 
page  44).  Pick  out  and  describe  in  your  own  words  the  dif- 
ferent positions  taken  by  Perseus  in  killing  Medusa.  Show 
how  one  step  leads  to  another  and  how  our  attention  is  held 
and  how  we  feel  the  excitement  of  the  climax  of  the  story. 
How  has  everything  in  the  story  led  up  to  this  moment  ? 
Show  that  every  incident  has  had  its  part  in  working  up  to 
the  killing  of  the  Gorgon,  how  each  has  helped  on  the 
story. 

SECTION  XXIII.  Perseus's  Escape  (through  line  16, 
page  45).  Describe  in  your  own  words  how  the  other  two 
Gorgons  felt  %and  how  they  acted  when  they  knew  that 
Medusa  had  been  killed. 

SECTION  XXIV.  Perseus  returns  to  Seriphus  (through 
line  15,  page  46). 

Page  45,  line  17.  Why  are  we  well  prepared  to  believe 
that  Perseus  performed  these  great  deeds  on  his  way  home  ? 

Page  46,  line  10.  Why  was  the  king  not  glad  to  see 
Perseus  ? 

SECTION  XXV.  The  People  are  summoned  to  behold  the 
Gorgon  (through  line  22,  page  47). 

Page  46,  line  18.  What  sort  of  spirit  did  the  king  show 
upon  first  meeting  Perseus  ? 

Page  47,  line  3.  What  characteristic  of  all  people  is  well 
illustrated  in  this  paragraph  ? 

SECTION  XXVI.  Perseus  shows  the  Gorgon's  Head  to  the 
People  (to  end  of  story). 


HAWTHORNE'S  WONDER-BOOK  11 

Page  47,  line  33.  How  does  Perseus  illustrate  his  charac- 
ter in  this  line  ? 

Page  48,  line  9.  What  advice  do  you  think  was  given  the 
king? 

Page  48,  line  19.  Do  you  think  Perseus  did  right  in  dis- 
playing the  head  of  Medusa  ? 

Page  48,  line  29.  How  do  you  think  Perseus  felt  as  he 
went  to  see  his  mother  ? 

SUBJECTS   FOR  WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

1.  The  Dangerous  Enterprise. 

2.  The  Gorgon's  Appearance. 

3.  Quicksilver's  Aid  to  Perseus. 

4.  The  Troubles  of  the  Three  Gray  Women. 

5.  How  the  Gifts  of  the  Nymphs  helped  Perseus. 

6.  How  Perseus  slew  Medusa. 

7.  Perseus's  Homeward  Journey. 

8.  Perseus's  Report  of  his  Adventure. 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL1 

DICKENS'S  Christmas  Carol  is  one  of  the  best  stories 
ever  written ;  that  is,  it  is  one  of  the  most  effective.  It  is 
intensely  interesting,  for  its  situations  are  striking  and 
dramatic.  It  appeals  to  the  feelings  of  everyone.  Laughter 
and  tears  follow  each  other  in  quick  succession,  and  when 
the  end  is  reached  we  feel  perfectly  satisfied.  "We  realize 
then  what  the  author's  purpose  was  and  we  feel  that  he  has 
accomplished  this  purpose.  It  seems  not  at  all  strange  or  far- 
fetched that  such  a  change  should  occur  as  the  transforma- 
tion of  Scrooge.  The  events  described  in  the  first  four  chap- 
ters seem  sufficient  cause  for  his  great  conversion.  This  story 
cannot  help  but  make  everyone  who  reads  it  a  better  man. 
It  has  done  untold  good  in  the  world  and  will  continue  to 
do  so,  for  like  all  good  stories  it  does  not  lose  its  charm  with 
one  or  two  readings.  One  cannot  do  better  than  make  it  a  cus- 
tom to  re-read  the  Christmas  Carol  every  Christmas-time. 

This  is  especially  a  story  to  be  read  for  the  story  itself 
and  not  as  a  vehicle  for  teaching  word  derivation,  history, 
biography,  etc.  Every  new  word  learned  will  add  to  the 
clearness  and  force  of  the  passage  under  consideration. 
Dickens  never  used  words  without  a  reason,  and  his  fine 
discrimination  in  this  respect  forms  one  of  his  greatest 
charms.  But  the  beauty  of  A  Christmas  Carol  would  be 
lost  if  it  were  used  as  a  means  of  word-drill.  It  should  be 
studied  in  the  large. 

QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

STAVE  I.  Page  13.  Call  attention  to  the  complete  title  of 
the  story  and  to  the  meaning  of  carol,  which  will  explain 
why  the  chapters  in  this  story  are  called  staves. 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
57,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL  13 

Page  14,  line  10.  This  paragraph  introduces  us  at  once 
to  Dickens's  humor.  As  dead  as  a  door  nail  is  a  proverbial 
colloquialism,  and  only  a  genius  like  Dickens  would  have 
thought  of  commenting  on  it  as  Dickens  does  in  this  para- 
graph. We  are  amused,  yet  not  offended,  as  is  generally  the 
case  when  one  speaks  lightly  of  death.  Why  is  Country's 
printed  with  a  capital  letter  ?  What  does  this  sentence 
mean? 

Page  14,  line  13.  What  new  turn  in  thought  does  each 
new  word  give  in  describing  Scrooge's  relation  to  Marley  ? 

Page  14,  line  16.  From  this  sentence  what  sort  of  man 
do  you  judge  Scrooge  to  be  ?  How  does  the  word  Scrooge 
seem  appropriate  to  this  man  ? 

Page  14,  line  25.  See  Shakespeare's  Hamlet,  Act  i, 
Scenes  iv  and  v. 

Page  15,  line  2.  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  one  of  the  most 
famous  buildings  in  London,  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  the 
business  district  and  is  surrounded  by  a  small  churchyard. 

Page  15,  line  11.  The  description  of  Scrooge  given  in 
the  next  few  paragraphs  has  never  been  excelled  as  a  bit  of 
characterization.  Pupils  should  study  it  carefully,  explain- 
ing how  each  word  adds  some  new  meaning  to  our  under- 
standing of  this  selfish  wretch ;  as,  what  is  suggested  by  the 
word  grindstone,  by  flint,  etc.  ? 

Page  16,  line  1.  Why  are  the  words  came  down  inclosed 
in  quotation  marks  ? 

Page  16,  line  8.  Explain  how  the  thoughts  in  this  para- 
graph form  a  fitting  climax  to  the  mean  yet  true  things  the 
author  has  been  saying  about  Scrooge. 

Page  16,  line  16.  We  are  not  familiar  in  this  country 
with  the  word  court,  as  used  here,  for  our  buildings  are  not 
often  built  around  the  four  sides  of  an  open  square  or  court, 
as  is  frequently  the  case  in  England. 

Page  16,  line  22.  Nuts,  another  colloquialism  or  slang 
expression.  Nuts  in  this  sense  is  something  which  one  has 
strongly  longed  to  have. 

Page  16,  line  24.  Pupils  should  divide  each  Stave  into 
ita  parts.  The  introductory  part  ends  here.  Pupils  should 


14       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

give  a  name  to  each  part  throughout  the  story,  as  if  the 
parts  were  chapters.  The  name  of  this  first  part  would  be 
Scrooge. 

Page  16,  line  27.  London  is  noted  for  its  fogs,  which 
are  intensified  by  the  smoke  from  the  city's  many  chimneys. 
The  northern  latitude  of  England  also  makes  the  winter 
days  very  short. 

Page  17,  line  4.  Show  how  this  sentence  gives  a  dainty, 
imaginative  touch  relieving  the  somber  picture. 

Page  17,  line  11.  How  does  this  sort  of  treatment  of  his 
clerk  show  Scrooge's  meanness  ? 

Page  17,  line  29.  In  the  conversation  which  follows  pu- 
pils should  tell  in  what  respects  they  think  Scrooge's  nephew 
had  the  best  of  the  argument. 

Page  18,  line  17.  Pudding,  the  English  plum  pudding, 
made  at  Christmas-time  in  all  English  families. 

Page  18,  line  18.  Holly,  an  evergreen  tree  with  deep- 
green,  glossy  leaves  and  red  berries,  much  used  for  Christ- 
mas decorations.  What  is  the  peculiar  fitness  of  speaking  of 
plum  pudding  and  holly  here  ? 

Page  18,  line  31.  This  paragraph  is  one  of  the  best  parts 
of  the  story.  Pupils  should  be  required  to  commit  it  to 
memory,  beginning  with  /  have  always  thought  of  Christ- 
mas. 

Page  20,  line  21.  The  second  part  of  Stave  I  ends 
here.  Let  pupils  give  a  name  to  the  incident  just  described 
and  then  narrate  it  so  as  to  appreciate  its  full  worth.  It  is 
one  of  the  finest  tributes  to  Christmas  ever  written.  Pupils 
should  feel  their  hearts  beat  faster  as  they  read  it.  It  should 
arouse  in  them  an  enthusiasm  for  the  rest  of  the  story  as 
well  as  for  the  spirit  of  Christmas.  Unless  the  class  by  this 
time  is  deeply  interested  in  the  story,  the  teacher  should 
realize  that  he  is  not  succeeding  in  his  teaching  and  should 
ask  himself  why. 

Page  21,  line  23.  Why  does  the  gentleman  say  he  wishes 
the  workhouses,  that  is,  poorhouses,  in  which  the  poor  were 
required  to  work,  were  not  in  operation  ?  If  you  have  read 
Oliver  Twist,  you  know  why. 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL  15 

Page  22,  line  24.  Explain  how  this  sentence  expresses 
the  very  acme  of  bitterness.  Scrooge  has  been  worked  up  to 
such  a  pitch  of  feeling  by  these  two  incidents  that  he  speaks 
as  hardly  any  sane  person  ever  does. 

Page  23,  line  2.  The  end  of  the  third  part  of  Stave  I. 
What  is  its  title  ? 

Page  23,  line  11.  Explain  the  beauty  in  this  fine  com- 
parison. 

Page  23,  line  17.  Water-plug,  the  corner  hydrant  to 
which  the  fire  hose  is  attached. 

Page  24,  line  6.  What  does  this  sentence  about  the  tailor 
add  to  the  story  ? 

Page  24,  line  20.  Let  pupils  give  a  title  to  these  last 
two  pages,  23  and  24.  From  here  on,  pupils  should  tell 
where  the  thought  changes,  that  is,  where  chapters  might  be 
said  to  begin  and  end,  and  should  give  titles  to  the  chapters. 

Page  26,  line  17.  The  conception  is  of  a  spirit  who 
causes  the  changes  in  the  weather. 

Page  26,  line  26.  Corporation,  aldermen,  livery.  These 
words  refer  to  the  officials  who  govern  the  city  of  London 
and  who  may  be  supposed  to  be  as  matter-of-fact  and  seri- 
ous as  any  persons  in  London. 

Page  26,  line  34.  Why  do  you  think  Scrooge  saw  Mar- 
ley's  face  in  the  knocker  ? 

Page  27,  line  23.  The  English  gentleman  formerly 
combed  his  hair  so  as  to  give  the  effect  of  a  pig's  tail. 

Page  28,  line  4.  Splinter-bar.  A  cross-bar  in  front  of  a 
wagon  to  which  the  traces  of  the  harness  are  attached, 
called  by  us  the  whipple-tree. 

Page  28,  line  29.  Why  did  Scrooge  doublelock  him- 
self in  ? 

Page  29,  line  12.  Pupils  should  be  required  to  look  up 
all  Biblical  references  as  a  means  of  interpreting  the  text 
and  also  in  order  to  familiarize  them  with  the  Bible.  Cain 
and  Abel  (Genesis  iv)  ;  Pharaoh's  daughter  (Exodus  u, 
5  ff.)  ;  Queen  of  Sheba  (1  Kings  x)  ;  Abraham  (Genesis 
xii  ff.)  ;  Belshazzar  (Daniel  v,  1  ff.)  ;  Apostles  (Matthew 
x,  2-4). 


16       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  30,  line  6.  Why  do  you  think  these  bells  rang  ? 

Page  30,  line  31.  What  is  the  significance  of  saying  that 
this  chain  was  made  of  cash-boxes,  keys,  etc.  ?  How  does 
Dickens  show  his  humor  in  this  ? 

Page  32,  line  7.  What  did  Scrooge  mean  by  saying  the 
ghost  might  have  been  an  undigested  bit  of  beef,  etc.  ? 

Page  32,  line  20.  Infernal  atmosphere,  as  if  from  the 
lower  regions,  from  Hades  or  hell. 

Page  33,  line  25.  Explain  in  your  own  words  why  the 
ghost  was  walking  the  earth. 

Page  33,  line  30.  How  did  Maiiey  forge  this  chain  dur- 
ing his  life  ? 

Page  35,  line  8.  To  indict  is  to  bring  a  solemn  charge 
against  one  in  a  court,  alleging  that  he  has  committed  a 
crime. 

Page  35,  line  17.  How  had  Marley  wasted  his  life's  op- 
portunities ?  What  was  the  purpose  of  Marley's  ghost  in 
thus  talking  to  Scrooge  ?  How  did  Scrooge  feel  ? 

Page  35,  line  22.  Explain  carefully  the  meaning  of  this 
speech  of  the  ghost. 

Page  36,  line  2.  Why  did  the  ghost  suffer  most  at 
Christmas-time  ? 

Page  36,  line  12.  What  does  Scrooge  mean  by  being 
flowery,  and  why  does  he  ask  the  ghost  not  to  be  flow- 
ery? 

Page  38,  line  7.  What  does  this  paragraph  mean  ?  Why 
were  these  phantoms  moaning  and  why  did  they  wear 
chains  ? 

Page  38,  line  34.  Describe  the  effect  produced  on  you 
by  reading  this  first  Stave.  Does  it  move  you  to  any  sort 
of  action  ?  If  so,  what  ?  Point  out  the  features  which  make 
this  a  good  ghost  story. 

STAVE  II.  Page  39,  line  5.  What  is  a  ferret  ?  Why  is 
this  expression  particularly  suitable  to  Scrooge  ? 

Page  39,  line  29.  Three  days  after  sight,  etc.,  refers 
to  a  draft  or  order  to  pay  money.  Why  was  Scrooge  re- 
lieved to  think  he  had  not  lost  a  day  ? 

Page  43,  line  4.  How  had  Scrooge  made  this  cap  ? 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL  17 

Page  43,  line  32.  Why  did  the  spirit  direct  Scrooge  to 
lay  his  hand  on  the  spirit's  heart  ? 

Page  44,  line  14.  What  do  these  odors,  thoughts,  etc., 
refer  to  ? 

Page  44,  line  19.  Why  was  Scrooge  so  much  affected 
by  this  scene  ? 

Page  45,  line  15.  You  begin  to  see  now  the  purpose  of 
the  first  ghost.  State  this  purpose  in  your  own  words. 
Mention  any  good  which  you  think  Christmas  had  ever 
done  to  Scrooge. 

Page  45,  line  20.  Why  did  Scrooge  sob  ? 

Page  46,  line  6.  Deal  forms,  board  benches  without 
backs. 

Page  47,  line  7.  Why  does  Scrooge  talk  of  these  Ara- 
bian Nights  stories  in  this  way  ? 

Page  48,  line  6.  See  page  24.  What  has  changed 
Scrooge's  mind  about  giving  the  boy  something  ? 

Page  49,  line  23.  Veriest  —  an  unusual  word,  the  super- 
lative degree  of  the  adjective  (not  the  adverb)  very.  It 
means  the  most  real  or  actual  well  of  a  parlor. 

Page  50,  lines  14  and  15.  Recalling  Scrooge's  interview 
with  his  nephew  the  night  before,  what  is  the  force  in  hav- 
ing Scrooge  visit  his  sister  ?  Why  did  Scrooge  seem  uneasy 
in  his  mind  ? 

Page  51,  line  6.  Organ  of  benevolence,  the  front  part  of 
the  top  of  the  head.  According  to  the  so-called  science  of 
phrenology,  one's  traits  of  character  depend  on  the  shape 
of  the  head. 

Page  52.  This  description  of  the  Fezziwig  ball  is  one 
of  the  best  things  in  the  story  —  so  vivid,  so  natural,  so 
hearty !  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  author  in  introducing 
this  scene  ? 

Page  53,  line  25.  Light  is  one  of  the  results  of  rapid 
motion.  Fezziwig  seemed  to  move  so  fast  as  to  cause  a  trail 
of  light  to  follow  him. 

Page  54,  line  4.   Cut,  jumped,  skipped  away. 

Page  55,  line  9.  In  what  respects  does  this  speech  differ 
from  those  of  Scrooge  the  night  before  ? 


18       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  55,  line  29.  What  passion  is  here  referred  to  ? 
Page  55,  line  30.  What  is  the  growing  tree  f 
Page  58,   line  17.  This  reference  is  to  Wordsworth's 
poem  March.  The  lines  are :  — 

"  The  cattle  are  grazing, 
Then-  heads  never  raising  ; 
There  are  forty  feeding  like  one." 

Page  61,  line  16.  Pupils  should  now  prepare  a  written 
outline  of  the  different  incidents  described  in  Stave  II  and 
note  the  progress  in  them  from  Scrooge's  boyhood  to  his 
manhood.  Show  the  purpose  of  each  scene  and  how  each 
scene  carries  out  its  purpose. 

STAVE  III.  Page  62,  line  8.  Pitch-and-toss.  "A  game 
in  which  pennies  are  pitched  at  a  mark,  the  player  coming 
nearest  being  privileged  to  toss  all  the  pennies  in  the  air 
and  retain  those  that  come  down  with  the  heads  up." 
Standard  Dictionary. 

Page  62,  line  32.  It  is  always  the  person  not  in  the 
predicament  who  knows  what  ought  to  have  been  done  in 
it  is  one  of  the  many  wise  sayings  of  Dickens  which  have 
been  taken  out  of  his  writings  and  made  proverbs.  Commit 
this  sentence  to  memory. 

Page  63,  line  27.  Does  n't  your  mouth  water  as  you 
imagine  this  sight  ? 

Page  65,  line  12.  Show  that  this  is  a  characteristic  re- 
mark of  Scrooge. 

Page  66,  line  22.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  saying  that 
a  snowball  is  a  better-natured  missile  than  many  a  wordy 
jest  ?  Do  you  appreciate  the  truth  of  this  ? 

Page  66,  line  34.  What  is  the  custom  in  regard  to  the 
mistletoe  which  makes  this  sentence  a  good  one  ? 

Page  67,  line  15.  Fish  have  cold  blood,  not  warm  like 
man's. 

Page  67,  line  19.  Why  do  the  descriptions  in  these  para- 
graphs of  the  poulterers'  and  grocers'  shops  please  you  and 
make  you  smile  ? 

Page  68,  line  18.  It  was  customary  in  Dickens's  time 
for  families  to  have  their  cooking  done  at  the  bakers'  shops. 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL  19 

Page  70,  line  23.  This  account  of  the  Cratchits'  Christ- 
mas dinner  is  the  finest  part  of  the  Carol  and  one  of  the 
best  things  in  literature.  For  humor,  pathos,  force  —  this 
beautiful  scene  of  life  in  a  humble  home  has  never  been 
excelled.  The  teacher  should  see  to  it  that  his  pupils  ap- 
preciate and  enjoy  it.  Recall  the  way  in  which  Bob  Cratchit 
had  left  Scrooge's  office  the  night  before. 

Page  72,  line  20.   Copper,  the  copper  boiler. 

Page  73,  line  12.  This  description  of  the  dinner  in  the 
next  two  or  three  pages  is  as  fine  a  piece  of  writing  as 
Dickens  ever  did. 

Page  76,  line  8.  Where  have  you  read  these  lines  be- 
fore? How  do  they  affect  Scrooge  now? 

Page  76,  line  18.  Who  is  meant  here  by  the  insect  ? 

Page  79,  line  15.  How  do  the  last  two  paragraphs,  pages 
78  and  79,  show  us  the  beauty  and  happiness  which  the 
Christmas  spirit  of  love  and  good-will  can  instill  in  humble 
homes  and  among  ordinary  people  ? 

Page  81,  line  19.  What  was  the  ghost's  object  in  taking 
Scrooge  to  the  mine,  to  the  lighthouse,  and  out  to  sea  ? 

Page  82,  line  4.  This  sentence  is  another  bit  of  wisdom 
worth  committing  to  memory. 

Page  85,  line  8.  Commit  to  memory  the  sentence  begin- 
ning It  is  good  to  be  children  sometimes. 

Page  90,  line  10.  Tell  how  you  think  Scrooge  felt  when 
he  heard  his  own  words  again.  • 

STAVE  IV.  Page  91,  line  28.  What  hint  do  we  get  here 
of  the  result  of  the  ghostly  visitations  upon  Scrooge  ? 

Page  99,  line  31.  This  scene  in  the  ragpicker's  shop  is 
as  grewsome  and  terrible  as  can  be  imagined.  It  made  as 
awful  an  impression  on  Scrooge  as  it  makes  on  us  who  read 
it.  The  picture  of  what  happened  on  such  occasions  is  prob- 
ably not  overdrawn. 

Page  103,  line  14.  Show  the  skill  of  Dickens  in  this 
change  to  the  Cratchit  home.  No  contrast  could  be  greater 
than  that  between  these  two  scenes.  If  one  reads  of  Scrooge's 
death  with  disgust,  one  cannot  read  of  Tiny  Tim's  without 
tears. 


20       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

STAVE  V.  Page  109,  line  17.  We  turn  now  from  these 
sad  and  depressing  sights  to  a  joyful,  happy  ending.  What 
effect  have  the  visions  had  upon  Scrooge  ? 

Page  111,  line  15.  Why  did  the  weather  seem  so  fine  to 
Scrooge  ? 

Page  113,  line  4.  Why  did  Scrooge  show  such  a  fond- 
ness for  the  knocker? 

Page  116,  line  10.  Why  was  Scrooge  so  anxious  to  catch 
Bob  late  ? 

Page  117,  line  6.  A  strait-jacket  or  waistcoat  is  used  to 
confine  violently  insane  persons. 

Page  117,  line  17.  A  beautiful  ending  to  this  wonderful 
story.  Pupils  should  be  asked  to  tell  why  it  is  that  this 
story  is  regarded  as  such  a  gem  by  everybody.  Are  we  most 
pleased  with  the  theme,  the  situations,  or  the  language? 

PASSAGES  IN    A    CHRISTMAS    CAROL   SUIT- 
ABLE  FOR  ORAL  READING 

STAVE  I 

"  Oh,  but  he  was  .  .  .  nuts  to  Scrooge  "  (pages  15-16). 

"  Once  upon  a  time  .  .  .  returned  them  cordially  "  (pages 
16-20). 

"This  lunatic  .  .  .  than  was  usual  with  him"  (pages 
20-23). 

"  After  several  turns  . '.  .  whatever  you  are "  (pages 
29-32). 

"  Oh,  captive,  bound  .  .  .  what  has  passed  between  us  " 
(pages  35-37). 

STAVE   II 

"  They  left  the  high-road  .  .  .  Let  us  see  another  Christ- 
mas "  (pages  45-48). 

"  The  ghost  stopped  at  a  certain  warehouse  door  .  .  . 
under  a  counter  in  the  back  shop  "  (pages  50-54). 

STAVE   III 
"  It  was  his  own  room. .  . .  Look  upon  me"  (pages  63,  64). 


DICKENS'S  A  CHRISTMAS  CAROL  21 

"  For  the  people  who  were  shovelling  .  .  .  God  love  it 
so  it  was  "  (pages  66-68) . 

"  Then  up  rose  Mrs.  Cratchit  .  .  .  singing  in  the  cop- 
per "  (pages  70-72). 

"  Such  a  bustle  ensued  .  .  .  blushed  to  hint  at  such  a 
thing  "  (pages  73-75). 

"  If  you  should  happen  .  .  .  Oh,  perfectly  satisfactory  " 
(pages  81-82) . 

"  Here  is  a  new  game  .  .  .  may  he  have  it,  neverthe- 
less" (pages  86-88). 

STAVE   IV 

"  Far  in  this  den  ...  to  profit  us  when  he  was  dead  " 
(pages  95-99). 

"The  Ghost  conducted  him  .  .  .  thy  childish  essence 
was  from  God"  (pages  103-107). 

SUBJECTS   FOR   WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  Scrooge  when  we  first  meet  him. 

2.  The  Meeting  between  Scrooge  and  his  Nephew  on 
Christmas  Eve. 

3.  The  Visit  of  Marley's  Ghost  to  Scrooge. 

4.  Scrooge's  Visit  to  his  Old  School. 

5.  Fezziwig's  Ball. 

6.  The  Poulterers'  and  the  Grocers'  Shops  at  Christmas- 
Time. 

7.  Why  I  like  the  Account  of  the  Cratchits'  Christmas 
Dinner. 

8.  The  Game  at  Yes-and-No  at   Scrooge's  Nephew's 
Party. 

9.  What  took  place  in  the  Junk  Shop. 

10.  Tiny  Tim,  as  we  meet  him  in  the  Story. 

11.  The  Change  in  Scrooge  and  what  caused  it. 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND1 

BEFORE  beginning  to  study  this  poem,  read  in  class  the 
first  section  of  the  Sketch  of  Whittier's  Life,  pages  v,  vi,  vii. 
This  will  introduce  the  class  to  the  childhood  home  which 
the  poet  is  describing  in  Snow-Bound. 

Whittier's  most  notable  characteristic,  his  idealizing  fac- 
ulty, makes  the  commonplace  scenes  and  people  of  this  poem 
gleam  and  glow,  as  the  firelight  transfigures  the  old,  rude- 
fashioned  room.  Read  Whittier's  Introduction  to  the  poem, 
page  1.  If  it  is  thought  best,  not  only  this  extract  from 
Emerson's  Snow-Storm,  but  Lowell's  First  Snow-Fall  and 
Longfellow's  Poem  of  the  Air  may  be  brought  into  class 
and  read  to  show  what  inspiration  the  snow  has  possessed 
for  the  poetic  minds  of  New  England.  Let  the  pupils  also 
describe  their  own  feelings  in  a  snow-storm.  Snow-Bound 
should  be  studied  by  paragraphs.  A  paragraph  should  be 
read  through  and  a  title  given  to  it  before  the  detailed  study 
is  begun.  The  giving  of  titles  to  the  paragraphs  is  an  im- 
portant feature  of  the  work,  for  it  teaches  pupils  to  look  at 
the  paragraph  in  the  large,  as  a  whole.  The  titles  to  the 
first  three  paragraphs  may  be  The  Weather,  The  Evening 
and  the  Beginning  of  the  Storm,  The  Change  the  Storm 
wrought.  After  the  title  has  been  assigned,  the  detailed 
study  of  the  meaning  of  the  lines  is  to  be  taken  up,  and  after 
this  the  oral  reading.  Oral  reading  should  never  precede 
but  always  follow  the  interpretation.  This  is  contrary  to  a 
common  practice,  but  how  can  a  pupil  read  orally  with 
proper  emphasis  unless  he  knows  the  meaning  of  the  lines? 
And  how  is  the  teacher  to  be  certain  of  this  knowledge  on  the 
pupil's  part  without  studying  the  lines  with  him  ?  It  is  some- 
times said  that  the  teacher  can  tell  from  the  way  the  pupil 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No.  4, 
published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  23 

reads  orally  whether  he  understands  the  passage,  but  this  is 
not  always  true.  It  will  be  found  of  value  to  assign  certain 
passages  to  be  given  special  study  for  oral  reading  and  also 
to  assign  to  certain  pupils  passages  for  special  study  before 
reading  orally. 


QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Snow-Bound  is  written  in  iambic  tetrameter,  that  is,  there 
are  four  iambic  feet  in  each  line.  See  the  discussion  of  this 
subject  in  the  notes  on  Enoch  Arden,  page  111  of  this  book. 
Enoch  Arden  is  in  pentameter,  that  is,  five  feet  in  the  line, 
while  Snow-Bound  has  four.  The  first  lines  of  the  poem 
are  scanned  as  follows  :  — 

The  siin|  that  brtef  |  DecSmjber  day 
Rose  che"er|less  6|ver  hills  |  of  gray, 
And  darkjly  cirjcled  gave|  at  no6n 
A  sadjder  light)  than  wa|ning  mo6n.  | 

Line  1.  What  would  be  the  length  of  a  December  day  in 
Whittier's  latitude  ?  What  effect  does  going  north  have  on 
the  length  of  a  winter's  day  ? 

Line  4.  What  word  expresses  the  opposite  of  waning  ? 

Line  5.  What  is  meant  by  the  thickening  sky  ?  What 
word  does  tracing  modify  ? 

Line  6.  A  prophecy  of  what  ? 

Line  7.  Explain  the  grammatical  relation  of  this  line  to 
the  rest  of  the  sentence.  What  is  the  difference  between  a 
portent  and  a  threat  ? 

Line  10.  What  is  the  special  meaning  of  stuff  ? 

Line  12.  Mid-vein  and  circling  race  refer  to  the  circula- 
tion of  the  blood  around  the  body  from  the  heart  back  to 
the  heart. 

Line  13.  Why  sharpened?  Compare  pinched  in  this 
sense. 

Line  16.  What  purpose  is  served  by  the  capitalization  of 
Ocean,  the  use  of  his  rather  than  its,  the  use  of  the  word 
pulse  ?  Point  out  the  words  in  this  first  paragraph  that  help 
most  to  give  an  impression  of  cheerlessness  —  of  cold. 


24       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Lines  19-40  present  a  picture  of  rural  conditions  that  to 
many  children  will  be  unintelligible  until  such  words  as 
chores,  littered,  mows,  whinnying,  stanchion,  lows,  scaffold, 
etc.,  are  defined  and  illustrated. 

Line  26.  What  is  the  grammatical  construction  of  shake  ? 

Line  27.  Why  is  early  used  here  ? 

Lines  29-30.  To  what  medieval  character  is  the  cock 
compared  in  these  lines  ? 

Lines  31-40.  What  words  in  this  passage  make  the  de- 
scription of  the  snow-storm  most  vivid  —  most  weird  ? 
Where  do  we  get  an  impression  of  spirits,  of  mad  reveling 
of  ghosts  ?  What  is  the  meaning  of  sheeted  ?  In  lines  34-36, 
point  out  the  words  that  describe  the  various  movements  of 
the  snow. 

Lines  43-44.  Explain  this  description  of  the  snowflake's 


Line  45.  Have  you  ever  seen  the  word  pellicle  be- 
fore? 

Line  46.  What  are  the  various  meanings  of  meteor  ? 

Line  50.  What  is  meant  by  the  glistening  wonder  ? 

Line  58.  Is  showed  transitive  or  intransitive  ?  Give  a 
synonym  for  it. 

Line  60.  Is  sat  transitive  or  intransitive  ? 

Line  63.  Point  out  the  well-sweep  in  the  frontispiece. 

Line  65.  Have  pupils  tell  whether  this  description  of  the 
appearance  of  the  world  agrees  with  anything  they  have 
ever  seen. 

Write  a  hundred-word  description  of  the  scene  portrayed 
in  lines  41-65. 

Line  77.  The  teacher  should  have  a  copy  of  the  Arabian 
Nights  brought  into  class  and  the  passages  read  which  tell 
of  Aladdin's  cave  and  the  wonderful  lamp. 

Lines  93-115.  From  what  words  in  this  paragraph  do 
we  again  get  a  feeling  of  the  supernatural — of  the  hostile 
influences  of  nature  —  of  solitude  —  of  a  love  of  nature. 
Compare  with  this  description  of  the  buried  brooklet,  Lowell's 
description  of  the  little  ice-bound  brook  in  The  Vision  of 
Sir  Launfal,  R.  L.  S.  No.  30. 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  25 

Line  95.  How  is  the  sun's  appearance  in  the  sky  different 
in  winter  from  what  it  is  in  summer  ? 

Line  98.  What  does  the  expression  social  smoke  suggest  ? 

Line  102.  Mindless  wind  ;  that  is,  the  wind  howling  like 
a  crazy  person. 

Line  109.  Read  on  page  vi  of  the  Biographical  Sketch 
what  is  said  about  the  seclusion  of  the  Whittier  home- 
stead. 

Lines  116-142.  Reproduce  in  a  few  words  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  building  of  the  fire.  Point  out  in  the  picture  (op- 
posite page  8)  the  crane,  trammels,  andirons.  Explain  their 
uses. 

Line  132.  What  word  does  radiant  modify  ? 

Lines  132-137.  Where  do  these  reflections  seem  to  be  ? 

Line  139.  What  is  meant  by  the  miracle? 

What  sort  of  feeling  does  the  paragraph  (lines  143—154) 
give  the  reader  ?  Explain  the  contrast  between  this  para- 
graph and  the  following  lines  (155-174).  What  words  or 
expressions  do  most  to  describe  the  loneliness  and  cold  with- 
out —  the  cheer  and  warmth  within  ? 

Line  152.  What  is  referred  to  by  unwarming  light  f 

Line  156.  What  does  clean-winged  mean?  What  sort 
of  wing  was  often  used  in  country  homes  to  sweep  up  the 
hearth? 

Line  160.  What  suggestion  of  geography  is  given  in  the 
words  frost-line  and  tropic  ? 

Line  167.  What  is  meant  by  silhouette?  A.  game  is 
played  in  the  evening  by  holding  the  hands  in  different 
ways  so  as  to  throw  the  shadows  as  fantastic  shapes  on  the 
wall. 

Lines  175-211.  What  is  the  general  subject  of  this  para- 
graph ?  How  many  of  Whittier's  family  were  living  when 
he  wrote  this  poem  ?  (See  the  Introduction,  page  1.) 

Line  175.  It  is  questionable  whether  children  will  appre- 
ciate this  paragraph.  The  passing  of  years  is  necessary  to 
enable  one  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  reminiscence.  But  for 
adults  this  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  passages  in  our  lit- 
erature. 


26       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  199.  Whose  loss  does  the  very  floor  seem  to  be  con- 
scious of  ? 

Line  200.  Why  are  the  words  Love  and  Faith  printed 
in  capital  letters  ? 

Line  201.  What  is  our  need  referred  to  in  this  line  ? 

Commit  to  memory  lines  203-211.  Even  if  pupils  do  not 
appreciate  them  now,  they  will  as  they  grow  older. 

Line  204.  With  what  experiences  in  life  are  cypress 
trees  associated  ?  Where  are  they  frequently  planted  ? 

Line  206.  The  breaking  day  here  means  the  dawn  of 
what  life  ? 

Line  210.  In  what  sense  is  Life  lord  of  Death?  and  in 
what  sense  can  Love  never  lose  its  own  ? 

Lines  212-306.  In  this  paragraph  a  good  opportunity  is 
afforded  of  distinguishing  the  point  at  which  the  thought 
changes  from  one  theme  to  another.  (See  McMurry's  How 
to  Study,  page  106.  Houghton  Mifflin  Company.)  For  ex- 
ample, the  first  theme  ends  with  line  223,  the  next  with  line 
229,  the  next  with  line  235.  Have  pupils  go  through  the 
paragraph  in  this  way. 

Line  215.  Gambia  is  a  British  colony  in  western  Africa 
inhabited  chiefly  by  negroes. 

Line  217.  What  experience  in  our  country's  history  is 
here  referred  to  ?  Whittier  was  strongly  opposed  to  Slavery. 

Line  219.  Give  reasons  for  calling  the  air  languorous  and 
sin-sick. 

Line  221.  What  is  meant  by  the  first  right  of  Nature? 
Have  the  Declaration  of  Independence  brought  into  class 
and  read  the  first  paragraphs  which  speak  of  unalienable 
rights. 

What  were  the  geographical  limits  of  Whittier's  life  ? 
(Bead  Introduction,  page  xviii,  first  paragraph  of  Section 
vi.)  Point  out  on  the  map  the  places  mentioned  in  lines 
224-275. 

Line  231.  Why  Norman  cap?  (See  Whittier's  Intro- 
duction, page  2,  for  an  account  of  his  father's  travels  in 
Canada.)  What  is  a  bodice  ?  What  is  the  literal  meaning 
of  zone  ?  What  does  zone  refer  to  here  ? 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  £7 

Line  238.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  expression,  as  the 
bee  flies  or  a  bee  line  ? 

Line  243.  Isles  of  Shoals,  a  group  of  islands  off  the 
coast  of  New  Hampshire.  The  American  poet,  Celia 
Thaxter,  made  her  home  here. 

Line  244.  What  is  a  hake  broil  ? 

Line  245.  How  is  a  chowder  made  ? 

Line  254.  What  is  a  gundelow  ? 

Lines  262-283.  What  are  the  attractive  features  of  this 
beautiful  description  of  the  mother's  early  life  ? 

Line270.  Conjuring-book.  (See Whittier's Introduction, 
page  2.) 

Line  286.  Why  is  he  called  painful  Sewell? 

Line  305.  Tell  the  story  to  explain  this  allusion.  (See 
Genesis  xxii,  13.) 

Lines  307-349.  A  fine  description  of  a  man  who  loves 
outdoor  life.  Pupils  should  follow  the  lines  through  care- 
fully, noting  the  different  features  of  Nature  touched  on, 
and  pointing  out  how  our  interest  is  held  and  how  plainly 
we  see  the  different  scenes  described. 

Line  310.  What  is  a  lyceum  as  the  word  is  used  in 
America  ?  The  Lyceum  was  originally  a  park  in  ancient 
Athens  where  the  Greek  philosopher,  Aristotle,  taught. 

Line  311.  What  is  the  grammatical  construction  of 
weather  ? 

Line  316.  Cunning-warded  ;  what  makes  it  correct  to 
use  an  adjective  cunning  instead  of  an  adverb  cunningly  ? 
What  would  cunning-warded  be  in  prose  ? 

Line  325.  Does  Whittier  mean  to  commend  or  criticize 
the  uncle's  seeming  lack  of  ambition  ? 

Line  329-330.  Show  how  these  lines  represent  a  common 
trait  of  character  in  thinking  that  our  own  town  is  better 
than  others. 

Lines  337-338.  How  do  these  and  the  following  lines 
show  the  power  of  narration  which  the  uncle  possessed  ? 

Line  351.  What  words  does  and  connect  ? 

Line  353.  Why  is  Fate  here  called  perverse  ? 


28       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Lines  355-356.  What  do  these  lines  suggest  as  to  the 
aunt's  disposition  and  activities  ? 

Line  358.  Income  here  means  entrance,  as  if  a  home 
entered  when  she  came  in. 

Line  361.  What  are  huskings  and  apple-bees  ? 

Lines  364-365.  What  are  the  warp  and  woof  in  weav- 
ing ?  This  is  a  beautifully  poetic  thought  if  pupils  see  it. 

Put  into  simple  language  lines  366-375. 

Line  369.  What  is  the  correct  pronunciation  of  mirage  ? 
How  is  it  pronounced  here  ?  What  does  it  mean  ? 

Lines  376-377.  Paraphrase  these  lines,  so  as  to  make 
clearer  the  expression  in  line  377. 

Line  377.  What  opinion  does  Whittier  wish  to  give  us 
of  those  who  poke  fun  at  "  old  maids  "  ? 

Lines  378-391.  Have  pupils  state  in  their  own  words 
the  impression  of  the  elder  sister  received  from  reading 
these  lines. 

Lines  386-388.  What  view  of  death  does  the  poet  here 
express  ? 

Line  390.  What  is  meant  by  the  low  green  tent  ?  Do 
you  like  this  way  of  speaking  of  the  grave  ? 

Line  393.  Put  in  simpler  words  the  meaning  of  lines 
393-394. 

Line  395.  What  is  the  meaning  of  motley-braided? 
Look  for  this  mat  in  the  picture  (opposite  page  8). 

Line  397.  What  does  asking  mean  here  ? 

Line  398.  Green.  Paradise  is  always  fresh  like  green 
fields  and  trees. 

Line  404.  Do  you  think  the  dead  see  us  and  know  what 
is  going  on  in  this  world  ? 

Line  412.  To  seek  depends  upon  what  words  in  line 
411? 

Lines  415-437.  What  lines  before  have  expressed  these 
same  feelings  ? 

Lines  419-420.  What  common  feeling  is  here  depicted 
among  those  whose  friends  have  died  ? 

Line  423.  How  is  the  poet  richer  ? 

Line  426.  What  is  meant  by  pearl  and  gold  ? 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  29 

Line  428.  How  old  was  Whittier  when  he  wrote  Snow- 
Sound  ?  (See  page  xvii  of  the  Biographical  Sketch.)  What 
does  the  whole  clause  modify  ?  From  this  passage  what  do 
you  learn  about  Whittier's  religious  faith  ? 

Lines  438-509.  This  paragraph  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
poem.  Try  to  have  pupils  appreciate  the  fine  features  of 
the  description  of  the  schoolmaster,  also  the  noble  prophecy 
in  regard  to  a  free  country. 

Line  447.  Where  is  Dartmouth  College  ?  How  near  was 
it  to  Whittier's  home  ?  What  is  meant  by  classic  when  re- 
ferring to  a  college  ? 

Line  449.  Why  is  yeoman  used  rather  than  farmer  ? 

Line  450.  Why  is  New  Hampshire  not  a  good  state  for 
farming  ? 

Line  453.  What  advantage  is  here  suggested  of  a  life  on 
the  farm  where  a  boy  is  taught  to  work  ? 

Line  456.  It  was  customary  in  the  early  days  of  Amer- 
ica for  college  students  to  pay  their  expenses  by  teaching 
country  schools  during  vacation. 

Line  464.  This  line  refers  to  games  played  at  social 
gatherings. 

Line  465.  How  could  his  task  be  a  pastime  ? 

Line  466.  Why  were  these  homes  happy  ? 

Line  471.  See  line  447  for  the  word  classic.  In  what 
spirit  do  you  think  the  schoolmaster  told  the  legends  of 
Greece  and  Rome  ? 

Line  483.  A  hostage  was  something  given,  generally 
a  person,  by  a  captured  enemy  to  the  captors  to  guarantee 
the  performance  of  a  pledge.  Hostage  here  means  what  ? 
When  would  the  schoolmaster  give  back  the  hostage? 

Lines  485-509.  Whittier  drops  the  thread  of  his  story 
for  a  few  lines  to  moralize.  Why  was  this  passage  par- 
ticularly appropriate  at  the  time  Whittier  wrote  Snow- 
Sound  ?  What  solution  of  the  negro  problem  does  the  poet 
here  suggest  ?  How  much  of  his  plan  and  of  his  prophecy 
has  been  realized  ? 

Line  487.  What  war  is  meant  ? 

Line  494.  What  is  referred  to  here  as  Treason  ? 


30       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  497.  What  previous  line  does  this  one  depend 
upon  ? 

Line  500.  What  does  Whittier  think  the  results  of  edu- 
cation will  be  ?  Mention  two  famous  institutions  in  the 
South  for  the  education  of  negroes.  Besides  the  work  of 
the  public  school  systems  in  the  South,  much  wealth  is  de- 
voted in  our  times  to  aiding  Southern  schools.  The  South- 
ern Education  Board  and  the  General  Education  Board  are 
especially  active  in  these  matters.  George  Peabody,  John  D. 
Rockefeller,  and  others  have  given  large  sums  of  money  for 
this  purpose. 

Line  506.  Is  this  true  to-day  ?  What  war  of  our  country 
fought  since  the  Civil  War  tended  to  bring  the  North  and 
South  more  closely  together  ? 

Lines  510-589.  Read  in  Whittier's  Introduction,  page  1, 
the  account  of  this  guest,  Miss  Harriet  Livermore.  After 
studying  the  meaning  of  the  words  used  to  describe  her  in 
lines  510—562,  ask  pupils  to  write  in  their  own  language  a 
description  of  this  guest,  to  see  whether  they  understand 
what  sort  of  woman  she  was. 

Line  534.  Explain  carefully  the  difference  between  a 
vixen  and  a  devotee.  + 

Lines  538-545.  Have  pupils  point  out  the  different  con- 
trasts here  mentioned. 

Line  547.  What  was  a  pilgrim  ? 

Line  550,  etc.  Find  on  the  map  the  places  here  men- 
tioned. 

Lines  563-589.  These  lines  are  a  sort  of  sermon.  What 
is  the  subject  of  the  sermon  ?  What  are  the  points  offered 
in  defense  of  this  not  unfeared,  half-welcome  guest  ? 

Line  566.  What  definition  of  motive  is  found  in  this  line  ? 

Line  568.  Have  pupils  look  up  in  the  dictionary  the 
names  of  the  three  Fates,  the  fatal  sisters. 

Line  569.  What  is  heredity  which  is  described  here  ? 

Line  580.  Fate  may  mean  heredity,.  What  then  does 
will  refer  to  in  one's  character  ? 

Line  581.  Metes  and  bounds  is  a  legal  expression  used 
in  describing  pieces  of  land  in  deeds,  etc. 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  31 

Line  583.  What  words  in  line  580  mean  the  same  as 
choice  and  Providence  here  ? 

Lines  585-589.    What  attribute  of  God  is  here  described  ? 

Lines  590-613.  What  trait  of  character  in  Whittier's 
mother  is  here  depicted  ? 

Line  601.  Why  was  it  necessary  to  cover  the  brands  ? 

Line  607.  Explain  carefully  the  meaning  of  this  line. 

Line  609.  What  sort  of  prayers  are  here  mentioned  ? 

Line  611.  How  do  such  people  as  Whittier's  mother  try 
to  answer  their  own  prayers  ? 

Lines  614-628.  Point  out  the  contrast  in  these  beautiful 
lines  between  the  wintry  scene  about  the  home  and  the 
dreams  of  the  sleepers. 

Lines  629-656.  What  means  did  the  country  people  take 
to  clear  the  roads  ? 

Line  639.  What  picture  does  this  line  give  you  ? 

Line  646.  What  picture  do  you  see  here  ?  What  is  there 
unusual  in  these  words  ? 

Line  649.  What  do  you  think  the  poet  means  by  Na- 
ture's subtlest  law  ? 

Line  653.  Why  is  the  expression  mock  defence  used  ? 

Line  654.  How  can  snowballs  be  spoken  of  as  compli- 
ments ? 

Line  656.  Where  is  the  story  of  Eden  found  ?  What 
charm  is  here  meant  ? 

Line  661.  Explain  how  the  word  autocratic  explains  the 
meaning  of  this  whole  passage  about  the  Doctor.  In  what 
previous  passage  has  Whittier  spoken  of  his  mother's  willing- 
ness to  help  ? 

Line  668.  To  what  religious  denomination  did  Whittier 
belong  ?  (See  pages  vi  and  vii  of  the  Biographical  Sketch.) 

Line  669.  Who  was  Calvin  ?  What  religious  denomina- 
tion did  he  found  ? 

Lines  670-674.  The  doctrine  of  Calvin  taught  that  cer- 
tain persons  were  the  elect,  that  is,  were  selected  or  chosen 
to  be  saved.  In  these  lines  what  does  Whittier  suggest  as 
the  grounds  on  which  we  shall  be  saved  ?  Commit  to  mem- 
ory lines  670-674. 


32     .ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  674.  How  did  the  snow-bound  family  entertain  it- 
self? 

Line  676.  In  early  days  when  books  were  fewer  than 
to-day  the  almanac  was  more  important  than  now  and  con- 
tained much  information  of  an  encyclopedic  nature. 

Line  683.  What  color  did  the  Quakers  largely  use  for 
their  clothing  ? 

Line  684.  What  was  a  Muse  ?  In  the  large  dictionary 
pupils  should  find  the  names  of  the  Nine  Muses. 

Line  685.  What  sort  of  poetry  do  you  think  would  have 
a  nasal  whine  ? 

Line  686.  See  I  and  II  Samuel. 

Line  688,  etc.  Name  the  various  departments  of  the 
village  paper.  What  effect  did  the  appearance  of  the  paper 
have  on  the  family  ? 

Line  700.  What  experience  had  Whittier  himself  had 
with  the  rustic  Muse  ?  (See  Biographical  Sketch,  page  vii.) 
What  lines  in  this  passage  describe  most  vividly  the  influ- 
ence of  the  newspaper  ? 

Lines  715-739.  The  story  is  done.  The  last  two  para- 
graphs are  in  the  nature  of  a  conclusion.  From  the  point 
of  view  of  this  paragraph,  where  has  the  poet  been  reading 
these  memories  of  the  past  ? 

Line  719.  Find  out  from  the  dictionary  what  a,  palimp- 
sest is.  Why  is  it  appropriate  to  liken  a  memory  of  the 
past  to  a  palimpsest  ?  Where  is  the  accent  properly  placed 
in  palimpsest  ?  Where  must  it  be  placed  in  reading  this  line  ? 

Line  722.  What  do  you  think  characters  means  here  ? 

Line  723.  What  is  a  monograph  ?  What  sort  of  mono- 
graphs does  the  poet  think  of  as  finding  a  place  in  this  book 
of  memory  ? 

Line  727-728.  What  do  cypresses  and  amaranths  sym- 
bolize ?  Where  have  cypresses  been  used  before  in  this  poem 
in  the  same  sense  ? 

Line  730.  Have  you  ever  seen  an  hour-glass  ? 

Line  733.    What  is  the  grammatical  construction  of  duty  ? 

Line  739.  Aloe,  the  century  plant  which  was  formerly 
supposed  to  blossom  only  when  a  century  old. 


WHITTIER'S  SNOW-BOUND  33 

Lines  740-759.  Where  does  Whittier  think  that  he  will 
get  his  reward  or  satisfaction  for  writing  this  poem  ? 
Line  756.  To  whom  is  the  traveler  compared  ? 


GENERAL    QUESTIONS 

If  you  have  enjoyed  reading  Snow-Bound,  can  you  tell 
what  part  of  it  has  attracted  you  most? 

What  would  you  call  the  main  effect  of  the  poem  ? 

Is  Whittier  most  capable  in  description,  character  sketch, 
or  portrayal  of  sentiment  ? 

Which  would  you  consider  the  stronger,  his  mental  qual- 
ities or  his  spiritual  ? 

What  passage  of  the  poem  in  your  opinion  contains  the 
best  description  ?  Why  do  you  consider  it  the  best  ?  What 
passage  is  most  religious  ?  Most  excited  or  violent  ?  Most 
expressive  of  affection  —  of  sorrow  —  of  tolerance  ?  What 
passage  is  most  beautiful  —  most  touching  ? 

Gather  together  the  passages  containing  references  to 
religion  or  religious  feeling,  and  make  of  them  a  statement 
of  Whittier's  religious  belief.  Do  the  same  with  the  pass- 
ages expressing  his  political  views. 


SUBJECTS   FOR  WRITTEN    EXERCISES 

1.  Winter   Evening   Occupations    and    Amusements  in 
Whittier's  Childhood. 

2.  Whittier's  Parents  and  their  Fireside  Stories. 

3.  Whittier's  Sisters. 

4.  Character  Sketch  of  Whittier's  Uncle. 

5.  A  Comparison  between  the  Nature  of  Whittier's  Aunt 
and  of  his  Uncle. 

6.  The  Country  Schoolmaster. 

These  sketches  should  be  of  from  one  hundred  to  three 
hundred  words.  The  outlines  for  them  should  be  made  or 
reviewed  in  the  class  before  the  sketches  are  written,  in 
order  that  the  instructor  may  see  that  they  are  complete.  A 


34       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

sketch  of  Whittier's  mother,  for  example,  should  answer  all 
of  the  following  questions :  — 

What  sort  of  woman  was  Whittier's  mother  ? 

How  was  she  occupied  while  telling  her  fireside  stories  ? 

How  does  Whittier  express  his  appreciation  of  her  stories  ? 

Where  did  she  find  the  inspiration  for  the  tales  she  told? 

What  different  kinds  of  tales  could  she  produce  for  her 
children's  entertainment  ? 

How  did  she  show  her  spirit  of  helpfulness  to  everyone  ? 


WARNER'S  A-HUNTING  OF  THE  DEER* 

THIS  essay  affords  a  good  opportunity  for  paragraph 
study.  Each  paragraph  has  a  well-marked  theme,  and  it 
should  be  the  constant  aim  of  the  teacher  to  bring  out  the 
purpose  of  the  author  in  each  paragraph  and  to  show  how 
each  paragraph  joins  itself  to  those  preceding  and  following 
and  thus  helps  in  the  development  of  the  essay.  All  new 
and  unusual  words  should  also  be  looked  up  and  defined, 
although  these  studies  will  not  designate  such  words,  assum- 
ing that  the  teacher  will  regard  as  a  primary  essential  of 
all  study  of  literature  the  understanding  of  the  author's 
meaning.  In  the  first  two  paragraphs,  words  which  will 
probably  require  study  are  catamount,  haunch,  attitudi- 
nize, frieze,  Pentelicus,  Theseus,  Attic,  Polycletus,  Otto- 
man. It  will  also  be  assumed  that  the  teacher  will  question 
pupils  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  various  paragraphs,  without 
inserting  this  question  each  time. 

Note  that  the  a-  in  the  title  is  not  the  article  but  a  prepo- 
sition. Webster's  New  International  Dictionary  has  a  good 
statement  in  regard  to  this  use  of  a-,  which  seventh  and 
eighth  grade  pupils  should  look  up. 

QUESTIONS  AND   SUGGESTIONS 

Is  the  first  paragraph  serious  or  sarcastic  ?  What  is  the 
purpose  of  this  paragraph?  What  sort  of  essay  do  you  ex- 
pect after  reading  the  first  paragraph  ?  What  words  in  this 
paragraph  are  used  in  a  sarcastic  way  ? 

Read  the  biographical  sketch  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Riverside  Literature  Series,  No.  37,  and  find  out  what  trait 
of  Warner's  character  led  him  to  write  this  story. 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
37,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


36       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  3,  line  8.  This  paragraph  is  the  most  difficult  in 
the  entire  essay,  and  if  its  full  meaning  is  to  be  elaborately 
drawn  out,  it  may  prove  to  be  a  discouragement  to  the  class. 
The  teacher  should,  however,  understand  it  fully  and  then 
use  his  judgment  as  to  how  much  time  is  to  be  spent  on  it 
with  the  class  before  him. 

Page  3,  line  12.  North  American  tiger.  The  panther  is 
sometimes  called  the  North  American  tiger. 

Page  3,  line  14.  What  is  the  touching  beauty  in  the  sen- 
tence, beginning  Unfortunately? 

Page  3,  line  19.  Mount  Pentelicus,  a  mountain  in 
Greece,  in  the  province  of  Attica,  famous  for  its  marble. 

Page  3,  line  25.  Ancient  Greece,  which  was  at  its  height 
in  the  fifth  century  before  Christ,  has  given  to  the  world  its 
models  of  art,  especially  in  architecture  and  sculpture.  The 
Parthenon,  a  temple  to  the  goddess  Athene,  on  the  hill 
called  the  Acropolis,  in  the  city  of  Athens,  was  the  most 
perfectly  beautiful  building  in  the  ancient  world,  while  the 
Venus  of  Milo,  a  statue  of  the  goddess  of  beauty,  found  on 
the  island  of  Melos  in  the  ^Egean  Sea,  is  still  regarded  as 
the  model  for  a  beautiful  woman. 

Page  4,  line  6.  Temple  of  Theseus,  one  of  the  finest 
temples  of  ancient  Athens. 

Page  4,  line  7.  In  Europe  churches  and  public  buildings 
are  frequently  decorated  with  marble  carvings  of  human 
beings  and  animals. 

Page  4,  line  10.  Attica,  the  district  of  Greece  in  which 
Athens  is  situated,  is  used  to  represent  the  best  in  Greek  life. 

Page  4,  line  13.  Polycletus,  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
ancient  Greek  sculptors. 

Page  4,  line  15.  E.  A.  Freeman,  a  distinguished  English 
historian  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Page  4,  line  16.  Ottoman  Turk.  The  Turks  which  came 
from  Asia  and  took  possession  of  southeastern  Europe  were 
called  Ottoman  Turks  from  their  leader  Othman. 

Page  4,  line  17.  State  the  difference  between  the  animals 
of  Greece  and  those  of  America,  as  the  author  points  it  out. 

Page  4,  line  27.  Read  through  line  23,  page  5. 


WARNER'S  A-HUNTING  OF  THE  DEER    37 

How  will  one  get  into  difficulty  in  following  deer-paths  ? 

What  impression  does  Warner  mean  to  convey  about  the 
shooting  of  the  Comanches  ? 

What  is  meant  by  saying  that  the  deer  had  the  sense  to 
shun  the  doctor,  line  18,  page  5  ? 

Read  through  line  13,  page  6. 

Show  how  the  author  in  this  paragraph  expresses  the 
essence  of  the  whole  essay. 

Who  is  responsible  for  the  deer's  timidity  ?  In  using  the 
expression  truly  Christian,  what  does  the  author  imply 
about  the  present  condition  of  society  ? 

The  golden  era,  or  golden  age,  is  described  in  the  dic- 
tionaries. For  the  reference  to  the  vials  of  wrath,  see  Reve- 
lation xvi,  1. 

In  line  6,  page  6,  what  do  you  think  the  author  means  to 
say  about  war  ?  For  information  concerning  the  modern 
peace  movement  see  Gulliver's  Friendship  of  Nations  (Ginn 
&  Co.,  Boston),  a  book  for  young  people,  which  should  be  in 
every  school  library. 

Read  through  line  21,  page  7. 

Point  out  the  sentences  which  are  especially  sarcastic  in 
this  passage.  Which  of  these  sentences  do  you  think  is  the 
most  forceful  ? 

Read  through  line  8,  page  8. 

Point  out  the  pathos,  also  the  humor  in  this  passage. 

Read  through  line  3,  page  9. 

Find  the  bitter  parts  of  this  passage.  Of  the  different 
ways  of  hunting  deer  thus  far  described,  which  does  the 
author  despise  most  keenly  ? 

Page  9,  line  4.  The  rest  of  the  essay  is  the  story  proper 
of  the  hunting  of  the  deer.  It  is  written  in  a  model  style, 
the  features  of  which  the  pupils  should  be  led  to  distinguish. 
Our  attention  is  secured  at  once  and  is  held  throughout  by 
drawing  us  on  from  one  situation  to  another.  We  read  on 
because  we  want  to  know  the  outcome  and  always  our  pity 
is  aroused  more  and  more  keenly.  Pupils  will  easily  re- 
cognize the  progressive  steps  leading  to  the  climax.  The 
author's  careful  choice  of  words  to  express  his  meaning,  is 


38       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

to  be  studied  as  one  of  the  charms  of  his  style.  The  para- 
graphs continue  to  have  their  central  theme,  which  should 
always  be  looked  for  and  stated  by  the  pupils,  although  the 
detailed  study  should  not  take  so  much  time  and  energy  as 
to  hide  the  purpose  of  the  author  in  the  sketch. 

Read  pages  9  and  10. 

What  arouses  our  interest  in  this  story  ?  What  does  the 
account  of  the  fawn  add  to  the  scene  ?  the  reference  to  the 
baby  and  its  mother  ?  The  passages  in  quotation  marks  il- 
lustrate how  frequent  are  allusions  to  the  Bible  all  through 
our  literature.  The  references  on  these  pages  are  to  the 
third  and  fourth  chapters  of  the  Song  of  Solomon.  Study 
the  paragraph  on  page  10,  describing  the  doe,  and  show 
how  the  words  used  are  specially  fitted  to  this  end ;  as, 
graceful,  slender,  aristocratic,  luminous,  etc. 

Read  through  line  10,  page  13. 

How  does  the  interest  deepen  and  how  is  our  excitement 
aroused  in  this  passage  ?  Show  how  naturally  the  doe  acted 
in  all  that  she  did.  Follow  her,  step  by  step,  to  see  how 
closely  the  author  must  have  watched  her  and  how  skillfully 
he  has  described  her  movements.  What  feeling  is  aroused 
in  you  by  reading  the  sentence,  beginning,  There  are  in  the 
woods,  line  10,  page  11  ? 

Point  out  the  illustrations  of  mother  instinct  and  of 
mother  love  in  this  passage.  How  does  the  sentence  affect 
you,  beginning,  The  little  innocent,  page  12,  line  11.  Do 
you  believe  that  animals  can  think  ? 

Read  through  line  16,  page  15. 

Why  did  the  doe  go  in  the  direction  of  the  hounds  ? 
Explain  what  is  meant  by  the  sentence,  All  human  calcula- 
tions are  selfish.  How  did  the  doe  show  that  she  was  not 
carrying  out  human  calculations  ?  Follow  closely  the  doe's 
track,  as  shown  by  the  directions  in  which  she  went.  Point 
out  how  well  the  author  makes  us  feel  the  fear  and  excite- 
ment of  the  deer,  particularly  on  page  14.  Why  did  the  doe 
head  towards  the  church  ?  According  to  ancient  custom,  a 
person  was  always  safe  from  capture  in  a  temple  or  church. 
Find  the  sentence  where  the  golden  era  has  been  spoken  of 


WARNER'S  A-HUNTING  OF  THE  DEER     39 

before.  What  do  you  judge  the  author  thinks  of  history,  of 
war,  from  the  sentence  beginning  in  line  12,  page  15  ?  Ave 
the  Czar  —  Ave  is  a  Latin  form  of  salutation,  translated 
hail.  This  expression  then  means  Hail  to  the  Czar,  as  a 
ruler  who  has  made  war. 

Read  through  line  25,  page  16. 

What  is  meant  by  the  sentence,  It  is  the  business  of  civil- 
ization to  tame  or  kill  ?  Does  the  author  mean  that  civiliza- 
tion should  do  something  besides  tame  or  kill  ?  The  para- 
graph beginning  in  line  26,  page  15,  is  one  of  the  finest  in 
the  sketch.  It  calls  forth  both  tears  and  laughter.  Point  out 
the  sarcastic  flings  at  the  summer  boarders. 

Finish  the  story. 

Why  does  the  author  say  that  nobody  offered  to  shoot  the 
dogs  ?  What  is  the  contrast  between  the  two  men  in  the 
boat  ?  What  sort  of  feeling  does  the  last  paragraph  of  the 
story  give  you  ? 

What  do  you  think  the  author's  purpose  was  in  writing 
this  sketch  ? 

SUBJECTS   FOR   WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  Why  the  Deer  is  a  Timid  Animal. 

2.  Examples  of  Warner's  Sarcasm. 

3.  The  Doe's  Care  for  her  Fawn. 

4.  Excitement  among  the  Summer  Boarders. 

5.  The  Deer's  Flight. 

6.  The  Pursuit  of  the  Dogs. 

7.  The  Death  of  the  Doe. 

8.  Warner's  Opinion  of  the  Sport  of  Hunting. 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE1 

THE  poem  may  be  divided  into  three  parts :  — 

(a)  The  Prelude,  giving  the  theme,  the   motif  of   the 
poem.  In  what  lines  of  the  Prelude  is  this  motif  stated  ? 

(b)  Part  the  First,  pages  11-55,  describing  the  banish- 
ment of  the  French  peasants  from  Acadia. 

(c)  Part  the  Second,  pages  55-100,  describing  Evange- 
line's  search  for  Gabriel. 

Each  part  is  divided  into  five  sections,  and  these  sections 
are  again  subdivided  into  paragraphs,  indicated  in  the  text 
by  a  break  in  the  printing.  Each  section  has  a  distinct 
theme,  those  for  Part  the  First  being  as  follows  :  — 

SECTION  I.   The  scene  and  the  characters. 

SECTION  II.  Evening  visit  of  Basil  and  Gabriel  to 
Evangeline  and  her  father. 

SECTION  III.   The  betrothal  of  Evangeline  and  Gabriel. 

SECTION  IV.   The  order  for  dispersal. 

SECTION  V.  The  departure  of  the  Acadians. 

Each  paragraph  within  a  section  has  in  turn  its  leading 
thought,  as  follows  :  — 

SECTION  I.  The  scene  and  the  characters. 

Paragraph  1,  lines  20-57,  pages  11-14.  Description  of 
the  Acadian  country  and  of  the  life  of  the  peasants. 

Paragraph  2,  lines  58-81,  pages  14-16.  Word  picture 
of  Evangeline. 

Paragraph  3,  lines  82-102,  pages  16-17.  Description  of 
the  farmer's  home. 

Paragraph  4,  lines  103-147,  pages  17-20.  Gabriel's 
love  for  Evangeline. 

Pupils  should  be  required  to  give  a  title  to  each  paragraph 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No.  1, 
published  by  Hough  ton  Mifflin  Company. 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  41 

throughout  the  poem.  This  is  a  valuable  exercise  in  what 
McMurry  1  calls  organization  of  ideas. 

In  the  following  notes,  only  the  most  striking  features  of 
the  poem  are  mentioned.  It  is  expected  that  teachers  will 
ask  many  more  questions  than  are  here  indicated.  The 
meaning  of  every  word  not  known  by  the  pupils  must  be 
studied  from  the  dictionary,  every  allusion  to  history,  geo- 
graphy, literature,  the  Bible,  or  mythology  must  be  looked  up 
in  the  encyclopedia  or  other  reference  book.  In  this  book, 
however,  the  emphasis  in  the  questions  and  suggestions  is 
on  the  literary  interpretation  of  the  poem.  The  fact  that  no 
reference  is  made  to  a  passage  does  not  imply  that  it  needs 
no  study. 

QUESTIONS  AND   SUGGESTIONS 

PRELUDE.  Read  the  historical  introduction,  pages  1-5. 

In  assigning  the  lesson,  direct  pupils  to  read  the  Prelude 
through  without  stopping  and  then  answer  these  questions : 
What  is  the  purpose  of  the  Prelude  ?  What  is  the  theme  of 
Evangeline  ? 

Page  9,  line  1.  What  sort  of  picture  is  called  up  in  the 
mind  by  the  words  forest  primeval  ? 

Page  9,  line  2.  Have  you  ever  seen  any  moss  that  looked 
like  a  beard  ?  The  moss,  or  "  old  man's  beard,"  which 
grows  especially  on  spruce  and  balsam  trees  is  a  lichen, 
and  occurs  mostly  in  localities  where  the  air  is  very  humid, 
as  in  Nova  Scotia;  also  in  Washington  and  British  Columbia. 

Page  9,  line  3.  Why  do  the  trees  remind  one  of  Druids  ? 
Why  is  eld  used  instead  of  old?  Poets  often  use  old  or 
archaic  words  as  better  adapted  to  create  a  striking  poetical 
effect. 

Page  10,  line  4.  At  what  period  in  the  world's  history 
were  harpers,  or  minstrels,  prominent  ? 

Page  10,  lines  3,  4.  At  once,  in  these  opening  lines,  we 
are  introduced  to  the  similes  or  comparisons  and  to  the 
choice  descriptions  in  which  this  poem  abounds.  Pupils 

1  See  McMurry's  How  to  Study,  p.  85. 


42       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

should  constantly  be  required  to  look  for  these  figures,  to 
explain  their  meaning  and  to  appreciate  their  beauty.  A 
knowledge  of  the  work  of  the  Druids  and  of  harpers  will 
help  to  explain  why  these  comparisons  are  especially  appro- 
priate here.  Murmuring,  sad  and  prophetic,  deep-voiced, 
disconsolate,  are  all  used  with  fine  discrimination,  which 
pupils  should  try  to  understand. 

Page  10,  line  6.  What  is  the  subject  of  the  verb  answers, 
and  in  what  case  is  the  noun  wail  ? 

Pages  9,  10,  lines  1-6.  What  impression  is  made  on  your 
mind  by  this  description  of  the  forest  ?  (Such  a  question  as 
this  gives  an  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  individuality 
on  the  part  of  pupils,  as  McMurry  names  his  eighth  factor 
in  study.1  Not  all  pupils  will  have  the  same  impression, 
and  teachers  should  not  strive  to  get  the  same  impression 
from  all.) 

Page  10,  lines  1,  8.  When  the  author  speaks  of  hearts 
that  leaped  like  the  roe,  what  does  he  mean  to  tell  us  about 
the  lives  of  the  Acadians  ? 

Page  10,  lines  10,  11.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  figures 
in  the  poem.  Explain  fully  its  meaning,  that  is,  how  is  the 
river  darkened  by  shadows  of  earth  and  how  can  the  river 
reflect  an  image  of  heaven,  also  how  are  men's  lives  dark- 
ened by  shadows  of  earth  and  how  may  men's  lives  reflect 
images  of  heaven  ?  What  do  these  lines  suggest  in  regard 
to  the  character  of  the  Acadians  ? 

Page  10,  line  15.  Grand  (great)  Pre  (prairie),  French 
words  which  describe  the  scene. 

Page  10,  lines  16,  17.  Can  you  give  any  other  instances, 
from  your  own  knowledge  or  from  your  reading,  of  the  love 
and  devotion  of  women  ? 

Page  11,  line  18.  In  what  sense  is  this  story  still  sung 
by  the  pines  of  the  forest  ? 

The  devices  used  by  poets  to  make  their  lines  pleasing  and 
effective  are  well  illustrated  in  the  Prelude :  (1)  Imagery, 
as  in  lines  3  and  4,  (2)  archaic  words,  as  eld  in  line  3, 
(3)  alliteration,  as  in  garments  green,  line  2. 

1  McMurry,  p.  246/1 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  43 

Pupils  should  make  a  written  list  of  all  the  comparisons 
in  the  Prelude,  and  tell  which  is  the  best ;  that  is,  which 
gives  one  the  most  new  thoughts  :  they  should  also  make  a 
list  of  all  unusual  words  and  of  all  alliterations  which  can 
be  found. 

Which  lines  in  the  Prelude  do  you  think  are  most  worthy 
of  committing  to  memory  ?  Give  reasons  for  your  answer. 
Commit  to  memory  your  choice. 

Reading  the  lesson  aloud  should  be  the  last  part  of  a 
class  exercise,  not  the  first.  No  one  should  be  called  upon 
to  read  orally  until  he  has  completely  mastered  the  sense 
of  the  passage  to  be  read.  This  will  include  all  the  study 
which  can  be  given  to  the  piece  in  question,  and  in  the  case 
of  the  Prelude  it  should  take  in  all  the  foregoing  suggestions. 
To  read  Evangeline  aloud  some  knowledge  is  needed  of  the 
dactylic  hexameter  in  which  the  poem  is  written.  In  each 
line  are  six  measures,  called  in  poetry  "  feet,"  whence  the 
line  is  called  an  hexameter  and  each  foot  is  a  dactyl  or  its 
equivalent.  A  dactyl  is  a  foot  composed  of  one  accented 
syllable  followed  by  two  unaccented  syllables ;  as,  This  is 
the,  or  forest  pri-.  Frequently  two  syllables,  each  receiv- 
ing nearly  the  same  stress,  take  the  place  of  the  three- 
syllable  dactyl ;  as,  garments,  in  line  2,  stand  like,  in  line  3, 
eld  with,  line  3,  voices,  line  3.  The  fifth  of  the  six  feet  in 
the  line  almost  never  has  two  syllables,  while  the  last  foot 
always  has  but  two.  There  is  in  each  line  a  pause  or  break, 
known  as  the  "  caesura,"  which  means  a  cutting  in  two. 
This  caesura  or  caesural  pause,  usually  occurs  in  the  third 
foot,  but  sometimes  in  the  fourth.  It  is  frequently  indicated 
by  a  comma  but  not  always.  The  scansion  of  a  few  lines  of 
the  Prelude  is  here  indicated.  The  accent  mark  shows  where 
the  accent  is  to  be  placed,  the  vertical  line  |  separates  the  feet, 
and  the  double  line  ||  indicates  the  caesural  pause :  — 

This  is  the  |  fdrest  pri  |  meVal  ||  the  J  murmuring  |  pines  and 

the  |  hemlocks, 
Bea"rded  with  |  m<5ss  and  in  |  garments  |  gre*en  ||  indis|tfnct 

in  the  |  twilight, 


44       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Sta"nd  like  |   Driiids  of  |  eld  ||  with  |  v  dices  |  sa"d  and  pro- 1 

photic, 
Stslnd  like  |  harpers  |  hdar  ||  with  |  beards  that  |  r&st  on  their  | 

bdsoms. 
Ldud  from  its  |  r<5cky  |  ca"verns  ||  the  |  ddep-voiced  |  ne'igh- 

boring  |  dcean 
Spe'aks  and  in  |  Accents  dis|co*nsolate  ||  Answers  the  |  wdil  of 

the  |  f  <5rest. 

PART  THE  FIRST.  In  assigning  the  lesson  ask  the  pupils 
to  read  over  at  one  sitting  the  entire  section,  lines  20-147, 
pages  11-20,  to  discover  the  unity  in  it.  Pupils  in  the 
seventh  and  eighth  grades  should  read  this  section  to  them- 
selves in  about  twenty  minutes.  From  this  reading  ask 
pupils  to  give  a  title  to  the  section.  Next,  let  each  paragraph 
or  division  of  the  section  be  read  and  a  title  given  to  each 
of  them.  There  are  four  of  these  paragraphs,  pointed  out 
and  named  in  the  outline,  page  40.  The  purpose  of  study- 
ing these  parts  as  wholes  is  to  lead  pupils  to  look  at  the 
poem  in  a  large  way.  There  is  danger  in  studying  in  detail 
that  the  general  effect  and  main  purpose  of  the  poem  will 
be  lost.  After  these  titles  to  the  various  parts  have  been 
found,  detailed  study  should  be  taken  up. 

Pages  11-14,  lines  20-57.  These  lines  form  a  most 
beautiful  description  of  a  happy  rural  scene.  Pupils  in  the 
seventh  and  eighth  grades  will  be  able  to  appreciate  both 
the  beautiful  thoughts  and  the  beautiful  expression  of  the 
thoughts.  What  sentences  in  this  paragraph  give  particu- 
larly pleasing  pictures  of  country  life  ?  Pupils  will  differ  in 
their  choice  of  lines.  This  variety  of  choice  should  not  be 
discouraged,  rather  encouraged.  It  is  not  to  be  desired  that 
all  pupils  see  things  just  alike  or  just  as  the  teacher  sees  them. 

Page  11,  line  24.  Why  does  the  poet  say  labor  incessant 
rather  than  incessant  labor  ?  (For  the  sake  of  the  meter.) 

Page  12,  lines  25-26.  What  is  a  flood-gate  ?  What  was 
the  purpose  in  opening  these  flood-gates  to  let  the  sea  in  ? 

Page  12,  line  30.  What  picture  do  you  get  from  the 
words,  sea-fogs  pitched  their  tents  ? 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  45 

Page  12,  line  32.  What  does  the  word  reposed  suggest 
as  to  the  life  of  the  Acadians  ? 

Page  12,  line  34.  Why  should  the  Acadian  houses  be 
built  like  those  of  Normandy  ? 

Page  12,  line  34.  When  did  the  Henrys  rule  over 
France  ?  (See  the  "  Biographical  Dictionary  "  in  Webster's 
International  Dictionary.) 

Page  13,  line  41.  Why  is  the  word  gossiping  applied  to 
looms  ?  Explain  the  use  of  a  loom. 

Page  13,  line  42.  Notice  the  alliteration. 

Page  13,  line  43.  What  was  the  religion  of  the  Acadi- 
ans ? 

Page  13,  line  45.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  expres- 
sion, reverend  walked  he  among  them  ?  Here  is  a  good 
opportunity  to  explain  what  we  mean  by  giving  the  title 
"  the  Reverend  "  to  a  minister. 

Page  13,  line  47.  Serenely  is  another  word  which  helps 
to  describe  the  life  led  by  these  peasants  at  the  opening  of 
the  story.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  words  in  this  paragraph 
(lines  20—57)  which  give  a  similar  idea  to  serenely. 

Page  14,  line  49.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  Angelus 
bell.  The  teacher  should  show  a  picture  of  Millet's  Angelus 
(The  Perry  Pictures  Company,  Maiden,  Mass.)  and  ask  why 
the  picture  has  been  so  much  admired.  This  painting,  now 
in  the  Louvre  Museum  in  Paris,  is  valued  at  $125,000. 

Page  14,  line  50.  What  is  the  appropriateness  of  com- 
paring the  smoke  from  the  farmhouses  to  incense  ?  A  most 
beautiful  figure,  if  pupils  can  see  it. 

Page  14,  line  53.  What  is  the  difference  between  love 
of  God  and  love  of  man  ? 

Page  14,  line  54.  What  fear  do  people  have  who  dwell 
in  a  land  ruled  over  by  a  tyrant  ? 

Page  14,  line  54.  Why  is  envy  called  the  vice  of  repub- 
lics ?  What  do  men  envy  in  a  republic  ? 

Page  14,  line  56.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  their 
dwellings  were  open  as  day  ? 

Page  14,  line  57.  Which  is  a  better  place  to  live  in,  such 
a  land  as  that  described  in  line  57  or  one  where  some  peo- 


46       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

pie  are  very  rich,  and  others  very  poor  ?  Why  ?  (See  Gold- 
smith's Deserted  Village,  pages  68-69  of  this  book.) 

Pages  14-16,  lines  58-81.  We  now  come  to  the  human 
part  of  the  poem  where  we  are  introduced  to  the  charac- 
ters. This  description  of  Evangeline  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  parts  of  the  poem.  Try  to  have  pupils  appreciate 
the  sweetness  of  her  character  as  described  by  the  poet. 
Show  the  picture  of  Evangeline  by  Faed.  The  Perry  Pic- 
tures Company,  Maiden,  Mass.,  furnish  a  good  copy  of  this 
picture  for  one  cent. 

Page  15,  line  62.  Stalwart h  —  an  archaic  word,  like  eld 
in  line  3. 

Page  15,  line  62.  Why  is  winters  used  instead  of  the 
word  years  to  tell  the  farmer's  age  ?  Why  is  summers  used 
in  line  65  in  speaking  of  Evangeline  and  winters  in  speak- 
ing of  her  father  ? 

Page  15,  line  63.  Explain  why  it  is  appropriate  to  speak 
of  the  father  as  an  oak  that  is  covered  with  snow-flakes  ¥ 

Page  15,  line  67.  Tresses  may  be  called  a  poetical  word ; 
that  is,  a  word  not  generally  used  in  ordinary  conversation 
or  in  prose,  but  reserved  for  poetry,  where  finer  shades  of 
meaning  are  to  be  expressed.  Pupils  should  be  on  the  look- 
out for  such  words. 

Page  15,  line  72.  Hyssop.  See  Exodus  xn,  22. 

Pages  15, 16,  lines  71-81.  Point  out  and  explain  all  the 
allusions  to  the  religious  life  of  the  people  in  these  lines. 

Page  15,  lines  78-79.  What  is  ethereal  beauty  ?  Note 
that  a  halo  of  brightness  and  beauty  seems  to  surround 
Evangeline,  as  a  halo  is  shown  in  pictures  around  the  head 
of  Christ. 

Page  16,  line  80.  Why  are  the  closing  words  of  the 
minister  in  church  called  a  benediction  ? 

Page  16,  line  81.  What  feelings  are  aroused  by  music 
that  were  awakened  by  the  sight  of  Evangeline  ? 

Page  16,  line  88.  Have  pupils  find  all  the  instances  of 
alliteration  in  this  paragraph. 

Page  16,  line  90.  Is  this  the  same  sort  of  moss  men- 
tioned in  line  2  of  the  Prelude  ? 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  47 

Page  17,  line  96.  Why  was  Peter  penitent  ?  (See  Luke 
xxn,  60-62.)  All  the  references  to  the  Bible,  which  are 
frequent  throughout  the  poem,  should  be  carefully  looked 
up  by  the  pupils.  This  is  especially  important,  as  know- 
ledge of  the  Bible  is  not  now  so  widespread  as  formerly. 

Page  17,  line  102.  Why  are  the  weather-cocks  said  to 
sing  and  why  to  sing  of  mutation  ? 

Page  17,  line  106.  What  is  a  saint  ?  Why  is  Evangeline 
likened  to  a  saint  ?  What  is  a  Patron  Saint  ?  (See  line  111.) 

Page  18,  line  108.  How  did  the  darkness  befriend  the 
suitors  ? 

Page  18,  line  118.  The  blacksmith  is  here  meant.  Name 
some  other  artisans  known  as  smiths  ;  as,  tinsmiths,  etc. 
Why  has  the  craft  of  the  smith  been  so  highly  thought  of 
in  the  world  ? 

Page  19,  lines  126-127.  If  pupils  do  not  understand 
these  lines,  take  them  to  a  horseshoer's  shop  and  let  them 
see  a  horse  shod  ;  also  to  a  blacksmith's  shop  when  a  tire  is 
being  set  on  a  wheel. 

Page  19,  line  130.  In  what  other  poem  of  Longfellow  is 
the  word  smithy  used  ? 

Page  19,  line  131.  Why  are  the  bellows  spoken  of  as 
laboring  ?  This  may  be  learned  on  the  visit  to  the  black- 
smith shop,  if  indeed  it  still  has  a  bellows. 

Page  19,  line  133.  Why  are  the  sparks  compared  to 
nuns  ?  Explain  this  figure  of  speech  with  care. 

Page  19,  line  134.  Note  the  alliteration. 

Page  20,  line  141.  Why  is  it  fitting  to  speak  of  the 
face  of  the  young  man  as  the  face  of  the  morning  ? 

Page  20,  line  142.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression, 
ripened  thought  into  action  ? 

Pages  20-22,  lines  148-170.  In  taking  up  each  new 
section  follow  the  directions  given  on  pages  40, 41.  Ask  each 
pupil  to  write  out  the  theme  of  the  section  and  of  each 
paragraph  and  to  indicate  these  themes  by  the  titles  given 
them. 

Page  20,  line  149.  Explain  the  sign  of  the  Scorpion  as 
a  part  of  the  Zodiac. 


48       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  21,  line  150.  What  are  birds  of  passage  ?  Whence 
and  whither  do  they  pass  ? 

Page  21,  line  150.  What  kind  of  air  is  leaden  air  ? 

Page  21,  Zine  153.  Jacob  —  another  Biblical  reference. 
See  Genesis  xxxn,  24-26. 

Page  21,  line  160.  Why  is  magical  an  appropriate  word 
to  use  in  describing  the  light  of  the  fall  days  ? 

Page  21,  ^we  162.  Call  attention  again  to  the  many  ex- 
pressions used  by  the  poet  to  show  us  how  happy  the  Aca- 
dians  are  at  the  beginning  of  the  poem. 

Page  22,  line  169.  Why  is  sheen  used  here  instead  of 
shining  or  a  similar  word  ? 

Pages  22-24,  lines  171-198.  A  beautiful  description  of 
the  calm  and  peace  of  evening. 

Page  22,  line  171.  What  time  does  this  line  refer  to  ? 

Page  22,  line  178.  Does  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  ani- 
mals, your  pets,  etc.,  realize  your  love  for  them  ? 

Page  23,  line  180.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  shepherd  dog 
help  drive  up  the  cattle  ?  If  so,  you  will  appreciate  how 
true  and  accurate  a  description  this  is. 

Page  23,  line  187.  Why  is  the  hay  called  briny  ? 

Page  23,  line  188.  Be  sure  that  city-bred  children  know 
what  is  meant  by  a  horse's  mane  and  fetlocks. 

Page  23,  lines  189-190.  How  did  this  harness  differ 
from  those  we  use  now  ? 

Page  24,  line  197.  What  does  the  word  valve  mean  and 
what  picture  of  doors  do  you  get  here  to  which  the  word 
valve  may  be  applied  ? 

Pages  24-25,  lines  199-217.  Read  this  paragraph  through 
and  pick  out  all  the  unusual  expressions  and  thoughts 
which  may  be  called  poetical  and  which  probably  would 
not  be  used  in  prose.  (See  lines  201,  202,  206,  etc.) 

Page  25,  line  213.  In  what  country  are  bagpipes  played  ? 
If  you  have  heard  a  bagpipe,  you  will  appreciate  the  force 
of  the  comparison  here  and  the  accuracy  of  the  words 
monotonous  drone  as  applied  to  the  spinning-wheel  and  the 
bagpipe. 

Pages  25-28,  lines  218-267.  What  can  we  determine 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  49 

from  these  lines  regarding  the  character  of  Evangeline's 
father  ?  Point  out  the  lines  that  tell  what  sort  of  man  he  was. 

Page  25,  lines  226-228.  Explain  the  comparison  in  these 
lines. 

Page  26,  line  234.  What  is  the  superstition  referred  to 
in  this  line  ? 

Page  26,  line  236.  It  is  customary  with  hunters  and 
others  who  have  open  wood  fires  to  pick  up  coals  with  tongs 
and  lay  them  on  the  tobacco  in  their  pipes  to  light  it. 

Page  27,  line  249.  Explain  the  historical  allusions  here. 
Why  did  these  events  make  Basil  suspicious  of  the  English  ? 

Page  28,  line  255-257.  Explain  the  meaning  of  these 
lines. 

Page  28,  line  259.  What  is  a  contract  ?  What  contract 
is  referred  to  here  ? 

Page  28,  line  260.  It  was  the  Acadian  custom  for  the 
community  to  build  a  house  for  a  young  man  and  supply  it 
with  a  year's  food  when  he  was  ready  for  marriage. 

Pages  28-33,  lines  268-329.  From  these  lines  learn  in 
what  respects  the  notary  resembled  Evangeline's  father. 

Page  28,  line  268.  What  is  a  laboring  oar  ?  How  does 
this  comparison  apply  to  the  notary  ? 

Page  29,  line  270.   What  is  maize  ?  Why  is  this  a  good 
comparison  ? 
.     Page  29,  line  275.  What  war  is  meant  ? 

Page  31,  lines  297-299.  In  what  ways  did  the  character 
of  the  blacksmith  differ  from  those  of  Bellefontaine  and 
Leblanc  ? 

Page  31,  line  299.  Is  it  true  that  "  might  makes  right "  ? 

Page  31,  lines  306-325.  Why  is  this  story  appropriate 
to  the  situation  here  ? 

Page  31,  line  308.  Why  is  Justice  represented  in  pictures 
and  statues  holding  a  pair  of  scales  ? 

Page  33,  line  335.  dower  is  used  here  for  dowry,  which  is 
the  more  common  word  and  refers  to  the  property  of  a 
woman  given  by  her  to  her  husband  upon  their  marriage. 
•    Page  33,  line  337.   Have  pupils  bring  in  examples  of 
notary's  seals  as  found  on  deeds,  etc. 


50       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  33,  line  340.  bride  and  bridegroom  refer  here  to 
the  old  meaning  of  the  words,  a  woman  and  a  man  about 
to  be  married. 

Page  34,  line  344.  What  do  we  call  the  game  of  draughts  ? 

Page  34,  lines  348-352.  A  beautiful  scene.  Note  how 
skillfully  the  author  transfers  the  scene  from  the  old  men 
playing  checkers  to  the  young  lovers  and  how  the  language 
becomes  poetical,  appealing  to  the  emotions.  Have  pupils 
commit  to  memory  lines  351,  352. 

Page  34,  line  354.  Explain  the  curfew  bell. 

Page  35,  line  360.  Why  is  soundless  a  better  word  to 
use  here  than  quiet  or  noiseless  f 

Page  35,  lines  361-362.  Where  before  has  been  expressed 
this  same  thought  ?  (See  lines  78-81,  page  15.) 

Page  35,  lines  367-368.  Explain  carefully  the  meaning. 

Page  35,  line  371.  Explain  the  comparison  here. 

Page  36,  line  373.  Why  is  the  floor  spoken  of  as  gleam- 


Page  36,  line  381.  See  Genesis  ix,  9-21. 

Page  36,  lines  382-386.  Another  description  of  the 
happy  condition  of  the  Acadians.  Do  not  fail  to  have  pupils 
give  titles  to  each  paragraph. 

Page  36,  lines  386-389.  What  is  meant  by  golden  gates 
of  morning?  (See  Gayley's  Classic  Myths.) 

Page  37,  lines  396-398.  A  form  of  communism.  Many 
attempts  have  been  made  in  the  world's  history  to  hold  all 
things  in  common.  See  Acts  n,  44,  45.  Look  up  in  the 
encyclopedia  Brook  Farm  and  the  Oneida  Community. 
This  idea  of  communism  explains  why  the  neighbors  had 
built  Gabriel's  house.  (See  line  260.) 

Page  38,  lines  408-414.  A  fine  description  of  the  fiddler. 
Can  you  see  him  as  you  read  this  ? 

Page  38,  line  411.  To  appreciate  this  vivid  comparison 
one  needs  to  blow  upon  a  slumbering  coal. 

Page  38,  line  413.  Tons  les  Bourgeois  de  Chartres 
means,  "  All  the  common  people  of  Chartres."  Le  Carillon 
de  Dunkerque  means,  "  The  chimes  of  Dunkirk." 

Page  39,  line  420.  We  now  pass  from  the  scenes  of  hap- 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  51 

piness  pictured  thus  far  in  the  poem  to  the  terrible  fate 
which  overtook  the  Acadians  and  wrecked  their  lives.  Note 
how  the  language  changes  and  how  the  words  used  suggest 
the  changed  scene,  as  sonorous,  clangor,  brazen  drums,  etc. 
Read  again  the  historical  introduction  in  order  to  have 
clearly  in  mind  why  this  cruel  proclamation  was  made. 

Page  39,  line  422.  Why  did  the  women  stay  outside  ? 

Page  40,  line  426.  What  is  meant  by  dissonant  clangor  f 
Why  was  it  especially  dissonant  in  the  church  ? 

Page  40,  line  427.  What  is  meant  by  brazen  drums  ? 

Page  40,  line  432.  Who  is  meant  by  his  Majesty? 
(George  II,  at  this  time  King  of  England.) 

Page  40,  line  433.  What  kindness  had  the  king  shown 
the  Acadians  ?  In  what  way  had  they  been  tinappreciative 
of  this  kindness  ? 

Page  41,  lines  442,  etc.  Trace  step  by  step  this  striking 
comparison,  which  describes  the  effect  on  the  people  of  the 
reading  of  the  order  of  dispersal.  Show  how  each  expression 
describes  most  appropriately  the  scene  ;  as,  serene,  suddenly, 
sling,  hiding  the  sun,  fly  the  herds,  etc. 

Page  41,  lines  448,  etc.  Show  how  the  action  of  the  people 
corresponded  to  the  different  steps  in  the  rising  of  the  storm. 

Page  41,  line  456.  How  is  the  character  of  Basil,  as  seen 
before,  well  carried  out  in  his  speech  here  ? 

Pages  42,  43,  lines  460^81.  Show  how  the  speech  of 
Father  Felician  is  what  would  naturally  be  expected  of  a 
minister  of  the  gospel.  What  feelings  would  his  speech 
arouse  in  the  minds  of  his  audience  ?  Trace  in  detail. 

Page  42,  line  466.  Why  is  alarum  used  here  instead  of 
alarm  ? 

Page  42,  line  472.  Prince  of  Peace.  See  Isaiah  ix,  6. 

Page  43,  line  474.  The  priest  here  pointed  to  the  crucifix 
on  the  wall. 

Page  43,  line  476.  What  is  the  rest  of  this  prayer  ?  See 
Luke  xxni,  34. 

Page  43,  line  484.  What  is  the  Ave  Maria  f  (A  prayer 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  begin- 
ning with  these  words  Ave  Maria,  meaning,  Hail,  Mary. 


52       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  43,  line  485.  What  is  meant  by  with  devotion 
translated  ? 

Page  43,  line  486.  Elijah.  See  2  Kings  n,  11. 

Pages  43-45,  lines  487-508.  Point  out  line  by  line  the 
impression  which  this  paragraph  gives  of  the  character  of 
Evangeline,  of  her  love  and  helpfulness. 

Page  44,  line  492.  What  does  emblazoned  mean  ? 

Page  44,  line  498.  What  was  ambrosia  ?  What  idea 
does  the  word  give  here  ? 

Page  45,  line  507.  Prophet.  See  Exodus  xxxiv,  29. 

Page  45,  line  518,  etc.  Show  how  nature  and  memory 
worked  on  the  religious  nature  of  Evangeline  to  produce 
rest  and  quiet. 

Page  45,  line  521.  Compare  the  song  of  Pippa  in 
Browning's  drama,  Pippa  Passes :  — 

"  The  year  's  at  the  spring 
And  day  's  at  the  morn  ; 
Morning  's  at  seven ; 
The  hillside  's  dew-pearled ; 
The  lark  's  on  the  wing  ; 
The  snail 's  on  the  thorn : 
God  's  in  his  heaven  — 
All 's  right  with  the  world  I  " 

Page  46,  line  522.  Find  and  read  again  the  lines  in 
Evangeline  that  tell  this  story. 

Page  46,  lines  524-532.  Describe  in  your  own  words  the 
feelings  of  the  people  as  they  brought  their  goods  to  the 
beach.  How  did  the  children's  feelings  differ  from  those  of 
the  women  ? 

Page  46,  line  535.  Describe  the  method  in  embarking. 
What  is  the  difference  between  ships  and  boats  ? 

Page  46,  line  536.  Why  is  the  word  laboring  used  of 
wains  ? 

Page  47,  line  541.  How  long  had  the  farmers  been  im- 
prisoned ? 

Page  47,  line  547.  Why  did  the  peasants  sing  in  a  time 
of  such  sorrow  ? 

Pages  47,  48,  lines  553-567.  What  do  you  think  of 
Evangeline's  character  as  shown  in  these  lines  ? 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  53 

Page  48,  lines  559,  560.  In  what  way  are  these  lines 
true  ? 

Page  48,  line  566.  What  does  this  line  mean  ? 

Pages  48-51,  lines  568-612.  One  of  the  saddest  parts  of 
the  story.  Read  it  carefully  to  understand  how  Evangeline 
was  separated  from  Gabriel,  which  forms  the  motif  of  the 
rest  of  the  poem. 

Page  49,  line  575.  What  is  meant  by  refluent  ocean  ? 

Page  49,  line  577.  Why  is  the  expression  used,  waifs  of 
the  tide  f 

Page  49,  line  579.  Who  are  the  gypsies  ?  What  is  meant 
by  the  archaic  word,  leaguer  f 

Page5Q,  line  597.  See  Acts  xxvn,  and  xxvin.  Where 
is  Melita  f  How  is  the  word  spelled  now  ? 

Page  50,  line  601.  A  striking  comparison.  Explain  its 
meaning. 

Page  50,  line  605.  Benedicite,  a  Latin  word  of  blessing. 

Page  51,  line  611.  Ask  the  pupils  to  express  their  opinion 
as  to  whether  this  is  a  beautiful  and  satisfying  thought  or 
not. 

Page  51,  line  615.  Explain  Titan-like  and  hundred 
hands,  and  show  how  these  expressions  describe  the  spread 
of  the  conflagration. 

Page  51,  line  618.  Pupils 'should  begin  to  study  the  deri- 
vation of  words  and  make  comparisons  among  words.  Com- 
pare roadstead  with  homestead  and  learn  what  the  suffix 
-stead  means. 

Page  51,  line  620.  What  was  a  martyr  ? 

Page  52,  line  621.  Gleeds,  an  archaic  word,  therefore 
appropriate  for  poetry. 

Page  52,  line  623.  Note  the  alliteration. 

Pages  52, 53,  lines  624-635.  Pick  out  the  incidents  which 
describe  the  terror  of  this  fire  scene. 

Pages  53-55,  lines  636-665.  Ask  pupils  to  give  their 
opinions  as  to  what  caused  the  death  of  Evangeline's  father. 
What  effect  did  her  father's  death  have  on  Evangeline  ? 

PART  THE  SECOND.  Evangeline  is  a  long  poem  for  use 
in  grammar  grades  and  the  second  part  is  likely  to  become 


54       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

tedious.  It  is  therefore  best  to  go  over  it  more  rapidly  than 
the  first  part.  The  second  part  is,  in  fact,  rather  monotonous. 
It  does  not  offer  the  same  variety  of  scene  as  the  first  part. 
The  same  method  should  be  followed,  of  reading  by  para- 
graphs, but  it  is  not  necessary  now  to  read  every  paragraph 
aloud  in  the  class,  if,  indeed,  this  is  desirable  in  the  first  part. 
A  more  useful  exercise  than  this  will  be  to  have  pupils  de- 
scribe in  their  best  language  what  is  found  in  each  para- 
graph. This  paraphrase  may  sometimes  be  written  out  as  an 
exercise  in  composition.  The  pupils  may  also  be  required  to 
select  what  they  consider  the  most  beautiful  passages  in  each 
section  and  give  their  reasons  for  their  choice.  All  new 
words  must  of  course  be  defined  and  all  historical  and  other 
allusions  fully  looked  up. 

Page  55,  line  668.  What  are  meant  by  household  gods  ? 
(Compare  the  lares  and  penates  of  ancient  Rome.) 

Page  55,  line  674.  What  are  savannas  ? 

Page  55,  line  676.  Explain  how  the  river  can  seize  the 
hills  and  drag  them  down  to  the  ocean.  What  river  is  meant 
by  Father  of  Waters  ? 

Page  56,  line  684.  Why  did  Evangeline's  life  seem  to 
her  like  a  desert  ? 

Page  56,  line  687.  What  does  this  line  refer  to  ? 

Page  56,  Line  690-692.  This  is  a  most  unusual  com- 
parison. How  does  it  describe  Evangeline's  life  ? 

Page  57,  line  699-700.  Note  the  effect  of  the  words, 
rumor,  hearsay,  whisper,  airy  hand. 

Page  57,  line  705.  Explain  coureurs-des-bois.  These 
French  words  mean  "  runners  in  the  woods." 

Page  58,  line  713.  Explain  St.  Catherine's  tresses. 

Pages  58,  59,  lines  720-724.  Do  the  pupils  think  these 
lines  are  true  ?  Commit  them  to  memory. 

Page  59,  line  733.  What  is  meant  by  the  Muse  ?  The 
muses  in  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  mythology  were  god- 
desses who  assisted  poets  in  their  writings. 

Page  60,  line  743.  Why  is  the  Mississippi  called  golden  ? 

Page  60,  line  749.  kith  and  kin — friends  and  rela- 
tives. 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  55 

Page  60,  line  750.  Find  on  the  map  all  places  mentioned 
in  this  section. 

Page  62,  line  764.  Golden  Coast  —  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi above  New  Orleans. 

Page  62,  line  770. .  Compare  line  2,  bearded  with  moss. 
The  Spanish  moss,  referred  to  here,  is  not  the  same  as  the 
lichen  of  line  2.  The  Spanish  moss  hangs  in  festoons  from 
the  branches  of  the  trees. 

Page  62,  line  779.  Feelings  of  wonder  and  sadness  are 
natural  feelings  in  such  a  scene  as  this. 

Page  63,  line  782.  Mimosa,  a  plant  whose  leaves  close 
when  touched. 

Page  63,  line  785.  Note  Evangeline's  hope  and  courage 
in  every  scene. 

Page  63,  line  793.  What  is  a  colonnade  ?  a  corridor  ? 
What  in  the  scenery  here  reminded  the  travelers  of  colon' 
nades  and  corridors  ? 

Page  63,  line  795.  In  what  other  instances  in  this  poem 
has  Longfellow  used  the  word  soundless  ? 

Page  65,  line  821.  Genesis  xxviir,  12.  Don't  forget 
to  look  up  all  the  Biblical  references. 

Page  65,  line  824.  Note  in  every  paragraph  how  Evan- 
geline's hope  spurred  on  her  devotion  to  seek  her  lost 
lover. 

Page  65,  line  831.  How  does  the  description  of  Gabriel's 
appearance  tell  us  the  effect  of  his  separation  from  Evange- 
line? 

Page  66,  line  840.  Why  does  the  poet  suggest  that  this 
would  have  been  a  fit  duty  for  an  angel  ? 

Page  66,  line  845.  Why  did  Evangeline  think  she  was 
near  Gabriel  ? 

Page  67,  line  854.  What  does  the  priest  mean  by  saying 
trust  to  thy  heart  ?  Is  it  safe  to  trust  to  illusions  ? 

Page  68,  line  868.  Why  is  the  boat  spoken  of  as  hang- 
ing between  two  skies  ? 

Page  68,  line  873.  Explain  how  the  song  of  the  mock- 
ing-bird as  here  described  fits  in  with  the  scene  and  with 
the  feeling  of  Evangeline. 


56       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  69,  line  889.  Spanish  moss.  Compare  lines  2 
and  770. 

Page  69,  line  890.  Druid.  Compare  line  3.  When  is 
Yule-tide? 

Page  70,  line  899.  Why  are  dove-cots  called  love's  per- 
petual symbol? 

Page  70,  line  901.  What  is  meant  by  the  line  of 
shadow  and  sunshine  ? 

Page  70,  lines  908-910.  Explain  the  comparison  here. 

Page  72,  lines  948-950.  Note  Gabriel's  love  and  devo- 
tion as  expressed  here.  Compare  it  with  Evangeline's  as 
expressed  in  lines  785,  845,  etc. 

Page  73,  line  956.  The  three  Fates  —  Clotho,  Lachesis, 
and  Atropos,  —  guided  each  man's  life,  as  represented  in 
Greek  and  Roman  mythology. 

Page  73,  line  961.  Where  was  Mount  Olympus,  the 
dwelling-place  of  the  gods  in  Greek  mythology  ? 

Page  74,  line  970.  ci-devant,  a  French  word  meaning 
former. 

Page  75,  line  989.  Why  should  the  ground  provoke  the 
wrath  of  the  farmer  ? 

Page  75,  line  992.  Is  this  strictly  true  ? 

Page  78,  line  1041.  Explain  the  beauty  of  this  thought. 

Page  78,  line  1044.  A  comet  formerly  was  supposed  to 
portend  disaster.  It  is  here  compared  to  the  handwriting 
on  the  wall  of  the  palace  of  Belshazzar,  King  of  Babylon, 
which  foretold  the  downfall  of  his  kingdom.  See  Daniel 
v,25. 

Page  78,  lines  1046,  etc.  Beautiful  lines  to  express  the 
sorrow  and  feeling  of  Evangeline. 

Page  79,  line  1054.  The  whippoorwill  has  a  sad  and 
plaintive  song,  appropriate  to  Evangeline's  feelings  now. 

Page  79,  line  1057.  oracular.  In  Greek  mythology  the 
oracle  was  a  priestess  who  revealed  to  men  the  will  of  the 
gods  ;  so  the  word  oracular  is  used  of  anything  mysterious. 

Page  79,  lines  1059-1061.  Explain  the  meaning  of  these 
beautiful  lines  describing  the  sunrise. 

Page  79,  Zwel063.  Prodigal  Son.    See  Luke  xv,  11  ff. 


LONGFELLOW'S  EVANGELINE  57 

Page  79,  line  1064.  Foolish  Virgin.  See  Matthew  xxv, 
\ff.  Who  are  referred  to  here  as  the  Prodigal  Son  and 
Foolish  Virgin  ? 

Pages  80-82,  lines  1078-1105.  Pick  out  the  especially 
pleasing  features  in  this  very  beautiful  description  of  the 
prairie. 

Page  81,  line  1095.  Ishmael.  See  Genesis  xxi.  Some 
have  thought  the  American  Indians  are  descended  from 
the  ancient  Hebrews  through  Ishmael. 

Page  81,  line  1102.  anchorite  'monk.  A  monk  living 
alone.  Some  monks  lived  together  in  monasteries,  others 
apart  by  themselves. 

Page  82,  line  1105.  The  religious  atmosphere  of  the 
poem  is  noticeable  throughout. 

Pages  83-85,  lines  1116-1164  How  many  different 
accounts  of  love  are  given  here  ?  Why  did  these  stories 
appeal  to  Evangeline  ?  / 

Page  86,  linellQS.  Who  was  Mary?  See  Matthew  n, 
11. 

Page  86,  line  1175.  What  Jesuit  missionaries  were 
prominent  among  the  early  explorers  of  the  United  States  ? 

Page  86,  line  1182.  susurru  —  a  word  spelled  and  pro- 
nounced as  it  sounds. 

Page  88,  line  1211.  cloisters  and  mendicant  both  suggest 
religious  ideas.  Why  ? 

Page  89,  line  1222.  Who  needed  faith  here? 

Page  91,  line  1257.  The  Dryads  were  spirits  who  dwelt 
in  trees,  according  to  the  old  Greek  mythology. 

Page  91,  line  1260.  Where  have  we  met  Leblanc  be- 
fore ? 

Page  92,  line  1266.  Where  did  we  learn  this  before  ? 
See  line  57. 

Page  92,  lines  1270-1275.  The  pleasures  of  memory, 
forgetting  the  sadness  of  the  past. 

Page  93,  line  1280.  What  is  the  difference  in  meaning 
between  changed  and  transfigured  ? 

Page  93,  line  1282.  This  is  the  teaching  of  the  whole 
poem. 


58       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  93,  line  1288.  Why  did  Evangeline  become  a  Sister 
of  Mercy  ? 

Page  95,  line  1312.  See  Matthew  xxvi,  11. 

Page  95,  line  1315.  Where  else  in  the  poem  is  it  sug- 
gested that  a  halo  surrounded  Evangeline's  face  ?  (See  line 
79,  page  15.) 

Page  96,  line  1339.  How  may  Death  be  called  a  con- 
soler? 

Page  97,  line  1355.  See  Exodus  XH,  3-13. 

Page  98,  line  1364.  The  old  love  to  think  of  their  child- 
hood and  youth.  The  dying,  too,  have  the  scenes  of  their 
youth  brought  vividly  before  them. 

Page  99,  line  1380.  What  did  Evangeline  thank  God 
for? 

SUBJECTS   FOR  WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  A  Description  of  the  Acadian  Land. 

2.  The  Life  of  the  Acadian  Farmers. 

3.  A  Picture  of  Evangeline. 

4.  Contrast  between   the   Characters  of  Benedict  and 
Basil. 

5.  Reproduction  of  the  Story  of  Justice  (lines  306-325). 

6.  The  Betrothal  according  to  Acadian  Custom. 

7.  Why  the  Acadians  were  banished. 

8.  How  the  Acadians  were  banished. 

9.  Where  the  Acadians  went  after  their  banishment. 

10.  Was  England  justified  in  banishing  the  Acadians  ? 

11.  How  Father  Felician  comforted  Evangeline  on  dif- 
ferent Occasions. 

12.  Evangeline's  Wanderings. 

13.  How  Evangeline's  Devotion  is  shown. 

14.  Evangeline's  Work  as  a  Sister  of  Mercy. 

15.  The  Influence  of  the  Bible  on  Longfellow  as  shown 
in  Evangeline  f 


IRVING'S  RIP  VAN  WINKLE1 

EVERY  piece  of  literature  makes  its  appeal  to  us  chiefly 
in  one  of  three  ways.  It  may,  in  the  first  place,  be  the  em- 
bodiment of  a  great  theme  ;  as,  love,  revenge,  obedience,  self- 
denial.  Longfellow's  Evangeline  is  a  good  representative 
of  this  sort  of  literature,  portraying  love  and  devotion.  A 
second  kind  of  literature  is  striking  on  account  of  the  situa- 
tions it  brings  before  us.  These  situations  may  hold  our  at- 
tention because  they  are  true  to  life  or  sad  or  pathetic  or 
humorous  or  unusual  or  what  not.  Pickwick  Papers,  by 
Dickens,  appeals  to  us  on  account  of  its  situations.  A  third 
kind  of  attraction  which  literature  offers  us  is  its  language. 
The  motif  and  the  plot  may  seem  subordinate  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  story  is  told.  The  appropriate  word  seems 
always  to  be  chosen,  the  comparisons  are  most  apt.  As  we 
read  we  are  pleased  at  the  richness  of  the  imagery  which  stirs 
up  within  us  new  or  vivid  pictures.  Shelley's  To  a  Skylark 
represents  this  type  of  literature.  The  greatest  literature  is 
strong  in  all  three  of  these  phases  of  beauty.  Enoch  Arden, 
for  example,  is  the  embodiment  of  that  noblest  virtue,  self- 
denial  ;  its  situations  or  scenes  take  hold  of  us  by  their 
beauty  and  by  their  vividness  ;  and  all  is  portrayed  in  the 
choicest  language.  In  which  of  these  classes  as  described 
would  Hip  Van  Winkle  be  placed  ? 

Pupils  cannot  of  course  foresee  the  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion, but  the  teacher  should  have  it  answered  in  his  own 
mind  before  beginning  the  study,  and  he  should  from  day  to 
day  ask  the  pupils  what  it  is  in  the  piece  that  pleases  them, 
so  that  by  the  time  the  study  is  completed,  the  pupils  may  be 
able  to  refer  it  to  one  of  the  three  classes  named. 

Although  not  divided  by  the  author  into  parts,  there  are 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
51,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflm  Company. 


60       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

three  well-defined  phases  to  the  story  of  Rip  Van  Winkle, 
as  follows  :  — 

PART     I.  The  scene  and  the  characters  (pages  9-15). 

PART  II.  Rip's  sleep  (pages  15-19). 

PART  III.  Rip's  awakening  (pages  19-30). 

Every  paragraph  has  a  central  thought  which  gives  it 
unity.  Pupils  should  read  each  paragraph  as  a  whole  and 
then  tell  its  theme.  This  is  an  excellent  exercise  for  teach- 
ing pupils  how  to  look  at  things  in  the  large.  The  paragraphs 
in  Rip  Van  Winkle  are  particularly  well  made  from  the 
point  of  view  of  paragraph  structure,  and  afford  an  unusually 
good  opportunity  for  teaching  pupils  to  organize  their  ideas. 
The  paragraph  themes  in  the  first  part  of  Rip  Van  Winkle 
are  given  below.  The  pupil  should  supply  them  for  the  re- 
maining paragraphs  in  Parts  II  and  III. 
Paragraph  1.  The  Kaatskills. 

2.  The  village. 

3.  Rip  and  his  wife. 

4.  Rip's  popularity  with  the  children. 

5.  Rip's  shiftlessness. 

6.  Rip's  farm. 

7.  Rip's  children. 

8.  His  wife's  treatment  of  him. 

9.  Rip's  dog  Wolf. 

10.  Rip's  frequenting  of  the  inn. 

11.  Nicholas  Vedder,  the  landlord. 

12.  Rip's  wife  calls  him  away  from  the  inn. 

13.  Rip  escapes  to  the  woods  with  his  dog. 

It  is  understood  that  the  exact  meaning  of  every  sentence 
is  to  be  clear  to  the  pupils.  For  this  purpose  the  meaning 
of  all  new  words  should  be  studied,  and  all  historical,  bio- 
graphical, Biblical,  and  other  allusions  carefully  looked  up. 
The  following  questions  are  not  meant  to  be  exhaustive,  but 
supplementary  to  the  teacher's  work.  The  ordinary  inter- 
pretative questions  are  left  to  the  teacher. 


IRVING'S  RIP  VAN  WINKLE  61 


QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Page  9,  line  8.  How  can  the  changes  of  weather  produce 
changes  in  the  shape  of  the  mountains  ? 

Page  9,  line  17.  Point  out  the  features  which  make  the 
first  paragraph  a  vivid  description  of  the  mountains. 

Page  9,  line  26.  Why  are  the  -words,  may  he  rest  in 
peace,  inclosed  in  parentheses  ?  What  is  the  meaning  of  this 
expression  and  why  is  it  used  here  ? 

Page  10,  line  14.  Why'  is  the  word  hen-pecked  well  used 
to  describe  such  a  man  as  Rip  ? 

Page  10,  lines  20,  21.  Explain  the  reference  to  the  use  of 
the  furnace  in  tempering  iron,  and  show  how  it  applies  to 
Rip  and  his  wife. 

Page  10,  line  22.  What  is  a  curtain  lecture?  Beds 
were  formerly  inclosed  by  curtains  and  a  curtain  lecture  was 
given  behind  these  curtains.  Why  is  it  said  to  be  better 
than  a  sermon  ? 

Page  10,  line  24.  What  different  words  are  used  in  this 
paragraph  to  describe  Rip's  wife  ? 

Page  10,  line  26.  One  of  the  charms  of  Irving's  style  is 
his  humor.  Name  the  expressions  in  this  paragraph  that 
make  you  smile. 

Page  10,  line  29.  Why  did  the  women  of  the  village  take 
Rip's  part  ? 

Page  11,  line  7.  Why  is  dodging  a  good  word  to  describe 
Rip's  way  of  going  about  ? 

Page  11,  line  10.  Why  did  the  dogs  not  bark  at  Rip  ? 

Page  11,  line  12.  Express  this  sentence  in  the  simplest 
language  possible.  It  is  an  exquisite  way  of  saying  that  Rip 
was  lazy,  and  a  choice  example  of  Irving's  humor. 

Page  11,  line  24.  Stone  fences  are  very  common  in  New 
England  and  eastern  New  York,  where  the  country  is  rocky 
and  mountainous. 

Page  11,  line  32.  Why  was  Rip  willing  to  fish,  to  hunt, 
and  to  help  his  neighbors,  but  not  willing  to  work  at 
home  ? 


62       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

The  paragraph  beginning  with  this  line  is  one  of  the  finest 
bits  of  characterization  to  be  found  anywhere.  Pupils 
should  analyze  it  to  determine  its  charm  and  should  be  able 
to  tell  in  their  own  simple  language  what  kind  of  man  Rip 
was  as  implied  in  this  paragraph. 

Page  11,  line  33.  Explain  how  pestilent  can  be  applied 
to  a  piece  of  ground. 

Page  12,  line  1.   How  could  Rip's  farm  dwindle  away  ? 

Page  12,  line  10.  What  was  the  real  reason  why  his  farm 
was  so  unsatisfactory  to  Rip  ? 

Page  12,  line  22.  What  is  meant  by  the  expression,  would 
rather  starve  on  a  penny  than  work  for  a  pound  ? 

Page  12,  line  28.  Was  Dame  Van  Winkle  justified  in 
scolding  Rip  so  much  ?  What  different  sort  of  treatment 
would  possibly  have  made  a  better  man  of  him  ?  Was  she  at 
all  to  blame  for  Rip's  shiftless  mode  of  life  ? 

Page  13,  line  1.  What  sort  of  contest  is  suggested  by 
the  expression,  draw  off  his  forces  ? 

Page  13,  line  7.  How  could  the  dog  have  been  in  any 
sense  the  cause  of  Rip's  going  astray  ? 

Page  13,  line  11.  What  is  the  more  common  form  of  the 
word  —  during  f 

Page  13,  line  15.  What  is  a  gallows  air  ?  Compare  the 
common  expression,  a  hangdog  look. 

Page  13,  line  18.  If  you  have  seen  a  dog  run  away  when 
threatened  with  a  blow,  explain  the  appropriateness  of  the 
words,  yelping  precipitation.  Pupils  should  point  out  the 
features  of  this  paragraph  which  make  it  a  vivid  descrip- 
tion of  the  life  of  the  village  inn. 

Page  13,  line  25.  Why  are  the  frequenters  of  the  inn 
called  sages  and  philosophers  ? 

Page  13,  line  28.  Note  the  number  of  words  in  this 
sentence  which  suggest  the  same  meaning  —  lazy  is  one  of 
them.  What  others  are  there  ? 

Page  13,  line  32.  Does  Irving  really  mean  that  a  states- 
man would  have  been  glad  to  hear  these  men  talk  ?  If  not, 
what  do  you  call  this  kind  of  statement  ? 

Page  14,  line  6.  How  does  deliberating  on  public  events 


IRVING'S  RIP  VAN  WINKLE  63 

months  after  they  had  taken  place  tally  with  the  rest  of  the 
description  of  the  inn  and  its  frequenters  ? 

Page  14,  line  1.  This  description  of  Nicholas  Vedder 
is  one  of  the  best  parts  of  the  whole  essay.  Let  pupils  point 
out  the  features  of  the  description  that  are  peculiarly  pleas- 
ing. In  what  respects  was  Vedder  like  Rip  Van  Winkle  ? 

Page  14,  line  13.  What  is  a  sun-dial  ?  How  could  Vedder 
himself  be  used  to  tell  the  time  of  day  ? 

Page  14,  line  29.  What  is  meant  by  calling  the  members 
all  to  naught  f 

Page  14,  line  31.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  words,  such  as 
virago,  used  in  this  sketch  to  describe  Rip's  wife. 

Page  15,  line  7.  What  is  meant  by  a  dog's  life  ? 

Page  15,  line  9.  What  is  the  real  meaning  of  the  word 
want? 

Page  15,  line  11.  Do  you  think  dogs  can  feel  pity  ? 

Page  15,  line  13.  Part  II  begins  here.  What  has  been 
the  aim  of  the  author  in  what  may  be  called  Part  I  ? 

As  suggested  in  the  introduction  to  this  study,  pupils 
should  read  each  paragraph  through  and  determine  its  gen- 
eral theme  before  studying  it  in  detail.  Require  pupils  to 
give  a  title  to  each  paragraph  from  now  on. 

Page  15,  line  23.  Pupils  should  analyze  this  fine  sentence 
describing  the  Hudson,  and  show  what  words  in  it  make  it 
such  a  good  description. 

Page  15,  line  29.  What  is  the  contrast  in  the  scenes 
described  in  this  sentence  and  in  the  preceding  one  ? 

Page  16,  line  22.  How  does  this  act  show  Rip's  char- 
acter, as  previously  described  ? 

Page  16,  line  34.  Usual  alacrity.  Where  before  have 
we  had  anything  said  about  Rip  which  shows  what  is  meant 
by  this  expression  ? 

Page  17,  line  10.  Let  pupils  point  out  the  features  of  the 
sentence  beginning,  Passing  through  the  ravine,  which 
make  it  a  fine  description. 

Page  17,  line  20.  Pupils  will  find  this  true  when  they 
visit  a  new  place,  especially  among  the  mountains,  that  the 
newness  of  the  scene  leads  to  awe  and  silence. 


64       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  17,  line  25.  To-day  we  use  ten-pins  in  our  bowling- 
alleys. 

Page  17,  line  32.  Draw  a  picture  of  a  sugar-loaf.  Sugar 
was  formerly  made  in  conical  shape. 

Page  18,  line  2.  What  kind  of  countenance  does  weather- 
beaten  describe  ? 

Page  18,  line  6.  What  is  meant  by  Flemish  ?  What 
is  the  noun  of  which  Flemish  is  the  adjective  ? 

Page  18,  line  7.  In  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  to 
which  the  early  settlers  of  New  York  belonged,  the  preacher 
was  called  Dominie. 

Page  18,  line  12.  Why  were  these  people  so  grave  ? 

Page  18,  line  20.  Show  what  each  adjective  in  lines  20, 
21,  adds  to  the  description. 

Page  18,  line  28.  What  had  created  awe  in  Rip  ?  What 
had  aroused  his  apprehension  ?  What  caused  his  awe  and 
apprehension  to  subside  ? 

Page  18,  line  31.  Hollands  stands  here  for  Hollands 
gin. 

Page  19,  line  4.  Here  begins  Part  III  of  the  story. 
Continue  to  give  titles  to  the  separate  paragraphs.  Give  a 
title  to  Part  II,  pages  15-19.  Twenty  years  is  supposed  to 
elapse  between  Rip's  falling  asleep  and  his  waking. 

Page  19,  line  13.  Woe-begone.  Explain  the  meaning  of 
this  word  and  make  a  list  of  all  words,  similar  to  this,  which 
have  been  used  to  describe  the  party  in  the  mountains. 

Page  19,  line  17.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  different 
terms  used  in  describing  Rip's  gun. 

Page  19,  line  31.  Why  was  Rip  stiff  in  the  joints  ? 
Why  did  he  think  he  was  lame  ?  What  was  always  Rip's 
first  thought  when  things  went  wrong  ? 

Page  20,  line  16.  How  could  this  wall  of  rocks  have 
come  here  ? 

Page  21,  line  2.  Why  was  the  dress  of  the  people  strange 
to  Rip  ? 

Page  21,  lines  11-14.  How  was  the  action  of  the  child- 
ren and  dogs  different  from  that  with  which  Rip  was  ac- 
quainted? Why? 


IRVING'S  RIP  VAN  WINEXE  65 

Page  22,  line  8.  How  did  the  desolateness  overcome  his 
connubial  fears  ? 

Page  22,  line  13.  Why  did  Rip  hasten  to  the  village  inn 
so  soon  ?  Explain  the  reasons  for  the  changes  which  had 
taken  place  in  the  village  inn. 

Page  22,  line  22.  During  the  American  Revolution,  an 
organization  of  patriots  known  as  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  set 
up  liberty  poles,  tall  poles  surmounted  by  a  liberty  cap.  A 
representation  of  this  cap  may  be  seen  on  the  head  now 
found  on  our  silver  coins. 

Page  22,  line  23.  The  stars  and  stripes  were  adopted  by 
Congress  as  the  flag  of  the  United  States  June  14,  1777, 
and  this  day  is  now  observed  as  Flag  Day. 

Page  22,  line  28.  What  soldiers  in  the  American  Revo- 
lution were  known  as  the  red-coats  ? 

Page  22,  line  31.  How  do  the  scenes  described  in  this 
paragraph  fix  the  time  in  which  this  story  is  laid  ? 

Page  23,  line  1.  Show  how  the  sentence  beginning, 
There  was  a  busy,  bustling,  disputatious  tone  about  it,  well 
describes  both  the  old  and  the  new  order  of  things  in  the 
village. 

Page  23,  line  10.  Explain  why  each  of  the  terms  used 
in  this  sentence  seemed  strange  to  Rip.  What  does  each 
refer  to  ? 

Page  23,  line  13.  In  Babylon  was  the  tower  of  Babel 
described  in  Genesis  xi,  9,  from  which  came  the  confusion 
of  tongues  or  languages,  so  that  the  word  Babylonish  is 
used  to  refer  to  a  confused  lot  of  sounds  or  languages. 

Page  23,  line  15.  From  here,  the  action  in  the  story 
becomes  intense.  Pupils  should  follow  closely  the  different 
steps. 

Page  23,  line  25.  Why  was  Rip  unable  to  understand 
the  expressions,  Federal  or  Democrat  ? 

Page  24,  line  4.  What  king  is  referred  to  ?  Why  was 
the  reference  to  a  king  obnoxious  to  the  people  ? 

Page  26,  line  12.  How  did  the  bystanders  explain  Rip's 
queer  actions  ? 

Page  27,  line  3.  How  does  this  explanation  of  Dame 


66       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Van  Winkle's  death  seem  appropriate  to  the  life  she  had 
led? 

Page  27,  line  20.  What  does  this  line  suggest  as  to  how 
the  people  received  Rip's  story  ? 

Page  28,  line  15.  How  does  the  account  in  this  para- 
graph harmonize  with  the  appearance  of  the  party  in  the 
mountains  as  described  previously  ? 

Page  29,  line  9.  Pupils  should  point  out  the  fine  humor 
in  this  paragraph. 

Page  30,  line  5.  As  suggested  in  the  Introduction,  pupils 
should  now  be  able  to  tell  wherein  the  charm  in  this  story 
lies,  whether  in  the  theme,  the  situations,  or  the  words. 

The  late  Joseph  Jefferson,  America's  distinguished  actor, 
for  many  years  acted  the  part  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  in  a  play 
of  this  name,  based  on  this  story.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  successful  plays  of  its  time. 

SUBJECTS   FOR   WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  What  sort  of  man  Rip  Van  Winkle  was. 

2.  How  Rip  spent  his  time. 

3.  Dame  Van  Winkle's  leading  trait  of  character. 

4.  The  Landlord  of  the  Inn. 

5.  The  Party  at  Nine-Pins. 

6.  Rip's  Feelings  upon  Awakening. 

7.  The  Strange  Sights  of  the  Village  upon  Rip's  Return. 

8.  How  Rip  spent  his  Last  Years. 


GOLDSMITH'S  THE  DESERTED  VILLAGE  1 

THE  pupil  should  read  the  Biographical  Sketch  of  Gold- 
smith (pages  1—12),  for  the  author's  point  of  view  in  this 
poem  can  only  be  understood  by  knowing  what  sort  of  life 
he  led.  The  Introductory  Note  beginning  on  page  13  and 
the  Dedication  on  page  17  must  also  be  read  to  learn  what 
Goldsmith's  purpose  was  in  writing  The  Deserted  Village 
and  whether  Sweet  Auburn  actually  existed. 

The  Deserted  Village  is  in  iambic  pentameter ;  that  is, 
there  are  five  iambic  feet  in  a  line.  See  the  discussion  in 
regard  to  this  sort  of  meter  in  the  notes  on  Enoch  Arden, 
page  111  of  this  book.  The  first  lines  of  the  poem  are 
scanned  as  follows  :  — 

Sweet  Ad  |  burn  16ve|liest  vil|lage  <5f  |  the  plain 
Where  health)  and  pldnlty  cheeVd|  the  la  (boring  swain 
Where  smi|ling  spring  |  its  earl|iest  vijsit  paid 
And  pdrtjing  sum|iner's  lingering  blo6ms|  deldy'dl 

In  the  third  foot  of  the  first  line  the  syllables  -liest  are 
spoken  as  one  ;  so  also  -boring  in  the  fifth  foot  of  the  second 
line,  -iest  in  the  fourth  foot  of  the  third  line,  and  -ering  in 
the  fourth  foot  of  the  fourth  line. 

QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Read  lines  1-34.  Auburn  has  by  many  writers  been 
identified  with  the  village  of  Lissoy,  in  central  Ireland, 
where  Goldsmith  lived  as  a  boy.  It  is  impossible  to  tell, 
however,  whether  Goldsmith  had  a  particular  village  in 
mind,  or  whether  he  was  thinking  only  of  the  tendency  of 
rich  men  to  buy  property  for  their  own  enjoyment  to  the 
detriment  of  small  landholders.  From  reading  these  lines, 
what  do  you  infer  has  happened  to  Sweet  Auburn  ?  What 
line  tells  you  this  ?  What  kind  of  picture  do  these  lines 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No.  68, 
published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


68       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

give  ?  Give  a  title  to  this  paragraph,  lines  1-34.  How  old 
was  Goldsmith  when  he  wrote  The  Deserted  Village  ? 
How  long  had  he  been  gone  from  Sweet  Auburn  ?  Where 
had  he  been  since  leaving  there  ?  How  would  his  experi- 
ences in  this  time  make  him  love  the  memories  of  Auburn  ? 

Line  10.  What  word  is  cot  abbreviated  from  ? 

Line  11.  What  thought  does  never-failing  suggest  ? 

The  next  time  you  stand  by  a  flowing  stream,  ask  your- 
self these  questions  and  try  to  answer  them :  Where  does 
all  this  water  come  from  ?  Why  does  n't  it  stop  running  ? 

Lines  10,  etc.  In  lines  10-30  how  many  different  scenes 
are  pictured  ?  Which  scene  is  described  best,  that  is,  which 
scene  gives  you  the  most  vivid  picture  ? 

Read  lines  35—74.  Give  a  title  to  these  lines. 

Line  39.  What  difference  is  there  in  Auburn  now  and 
formerly  in  regard  to  the  ownership  of  the  soil  ? 

Line  40.  Why  does  one  only  master  result  in  half  a 
tillage  ? 

Lines  41-48.  Describe  in  your  own  words  the  scene 
here  pictured.  Select  the  words  in  each  line  that  make  the 
picture  vivid. 

Lines  51—74.  These  lines  express  more  plainly  than  any- 
thing else  in  the  poem  the  theory  of  wealth  which  was  in 
Goldsmith's  mind.  In  this  connection  read  again  the  Dedi- 
cation (pages  17  and  18  of  the  Introduction).  Show  what 
makes  you  think  that  Goldsmith  was  not  sure  that  everyone 
would  hold  his  view  of  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  When 
Goldsmith  was  a  boy  a  certain  General  Napier  had  bought 
up  several  cottagers'  homes  near  Lissoy  and  turned  out 
their  inhabitants.  This  probably  set  him  thinking  on  the 
theme  of  The  Deserted  Village.  What  complaints  do  we 
hear  of  nowadays  in  regard  to  wealth  ?  Mention  some 
wealthy  men  of  our  day  who  are  criticized  on  account  of 
their  vast  riches. 

Line  54.  The  King  of  England  has  authority  to  make  a 
man  a  lord  or  to  confer  a  title  of  nobility  upon  any  whom 
he  pleases  thus  to  honor. 

Line  55.  In  what  sense  may  the  peasantry  be  called 


GOLDSMITH'S  THE  DESERTED  VILLAGE    69 

their  country' s pride  ?  What  do  we  hear  at  the  present  time 
about  the  rights  of  the  "  common  people  "  ? 

Line  58.  How  many  persons  would  an  acre  then  have 
supported  ?  This  is  not  to  be  taken  literally. 

Line  63.  Goldsmith  does  not  mention  the  condition  of 
the  peasants  in  France,  but  as  he  had  traveled  there  he  was 
familiar  with  the  conditions  of  that  country,  where  the  no- 
bility owned  one  half  the  soil  and  where  the  peasants  were 
forbidden  to  raise  crops  if  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  in- 
terfered with  the  hunting  privileges  of  the  nobles.  This 
knowledge  must  have  intensified  the  feeling  of  Goldsmith 
against  the  wealthy. 

Line  66.  What  is  meant  by  unwieldy  wealth  ? 

Line  67.  Mention  some  of  the  wants  or  needs  of  the 
wealthy  which  the  poor  do  not  have. 

Line  68.  Mention  some  foolish  acts  of  those  who  have 
money  which  afterwards  bring  them  pangs. 

Read  lines  75-112.  Give  a  title  to  these  lines.  Describe 
in  your  own  words  the  poet's  feeling,  as  here  depicted. 

Line  78.  What  picture  does  the  word  tangling  suggest  ? 

Lines  83—96.  Point  out  the  features  in  this  passage  which 
make  it  one  of  the  choicest  parts  of  the  poem.  Does  its 
charm  lie  in  the  thought  expressed  or  in  the  beauty  of  the 
language  ? 

Line  98.  What  is  the  antecedent  of  the  pronoun  that  ? 

Lines  101-112.  Point  out  the  lines  in  this  passage  which 
describe  the  rich  man's  state  and  those  which  refer  to  the 
poor  man.  In  what  respects  in  this  passage  does  Goldsmith 
picture  the  latter's  state  as  one  to  be  preferred  ? 

Line  107.  Latter  end.  See  Job  vm,  7. 

Read  lines  113-136.  Name  the  picture  here  described. 
If  you  were  a  painter,  how  would  you  paint  the  scene  in 
lines  113-124  ? 

Line  122.  Is  this  description  true  to  life  ? 

Line  124.  Where  does  the  nightingale  live  ? 

Lines  129-136.  Show  how  the  picture  of  this  poor 
woman  heightens  the  contrast  in  this  scene. 

Read  lines  137-192.  From  reading  the  sketch  of  Gold- 


70       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

smith's  life  what  means  do  you  learn  that  he  had  for  know- 
ing a  preacher's  life  ?  A  good  opportunity  is  here  afforded 
for  the  pupil  to  make  an  intensive  study  of  a  passage.  Ana- 
lyze these  lines,  showing  the  different  characteristics  of  the 
preacher;  as,  easily-satisfied  (lines  141-142),  contented 
(lines  143-144),  etc.  Point  out  those  lines  which  describe 
best  what  in  your  opinion  a  minister'  ought  to  be.  Point 
out  expressions  which  seem  to  you  to  give  especially  well 
the  meaning  intended  ;  as,  the  garden  smil'd,  Modest  man- 
sion, etc.  Point  out  any  unusual  words  which  would  prob- 
ably not  be  used  in  prose  ;  as,  passing,  line  142. 

The  analysis  of  poetry  may  easily  be  overdone,  resulting 
then  in  formal  study  at  the  expense  of  the  meaning.  But  it 
is  desirable  at  times  to  show  pupils  by  an  exhaustive  study 
of  a  passage  how  much  can  be  got  out  of  it. 

Line  148.  How  does  the  use  of  the  two  related  words, 
raise  and  rise,  give  force  to  this  line  ? 

Line  153.  Analyze  the  meaning  of  this  line  to  show  its 
appropriateness. 

Line  160.  Is  this  a  commendable  trait  in  a  preacher  ?  in 
others  ? 

Line  164.  Compare  with  line  160. 

Line  170.  What  characteristics  of  true  leadership  are 
here  described  ? 

Line  172.  Explain  circumstances  under  which  sorrow, 
guilt,  and  pain  might  each  dismay  the  dying  bed. 

Lines  189-192.  Explain  in  detail  the  comparison.  Of  all 
the  characteristics  of  the  preacher  here  described,  which 
one  do  you  admire  most  ? 

Read  lines  193-216.  In  this  description  of  the  school- 
master which  lines  cause  a  smile?  Which  lines  indicate 
that  the  school-teacher  of  Goldsmith's  time  was  much  like 
the  teacher  of  to-day  ? 

Line  206.  In  what  respect  was  the  teacher  severe  ? 

Read  lines  217-250.  Give  a  title  to  these  lines. 

Line  221.  What  sort  of  house  is  meant  ?  What  has 
caused  the  change  in  this  house  ?  Why  is  the  change  espe- 
cially felt  here  ? 


GOLDSMITH'S  THE  DESERTED  VILLAGE    71 

Read  lines  251-302.  The  author  now  turns  to  moral  re- 
flections caused  by  thinking  on  the  fate  of  Auburn.  What 
is  the  theme  of  his  thought  in  these  lines  ? 

Lines  251-264.  Which  lines  in  this  passage  describe  the 
pleasures  of  the  humble  ;  which,  those  of  the  rich  ? 

Line  254.  To  what  class  of  people  do  the  words,  one 
native  charm,  refer  ;  to  what  class,  the  gloss  of  art  ? 

Line  268.  What  makes  a  splendid  land,  what  a  happy 
land,  according  to  Goldsmith  ? 

Line  275.  Mention  the  losses  which  wealth  brings  on 
the  country,  as  here  suggested. 

Line  279.  Explain  the  peculiar  appropriateness  of  the 
words  silken  sloth. 

Line  280.  How  can  this  robe  rob  the  fields  ? 

Line  282.  What  is  the  grammatical  construction  of  the 
word,  cottage  ? 

Lines  287-302.  Explain  in  detail  the  comparison  between 
a  woman  and  Auburn. 

Line  288.  What  time  in  the  history  of  Auburn  is  to  be 
compared  to  youth  in  the  woman  ? 

Line  294.  What  in  Auburn  is  likened  to  dress  in  woman  ? 

Line  302.  How  can  the  country  be  at  the  same  time  a 
garden  and  a  grave  ? 

Read  lines  303-336.  Give  a  title  to  this  passage.  Where 
may  the  inhabitants  of  Auburn  go  as  suggested  in  these 
lines  ?  Where  are  there  more  pleasures  to  attract  people,  in 
the  country  or  in  the  city  ?  Where  is  there  more  sin  and 
wrong  ?  Show  from  this  passage  what  Goldsmith  thought 
in  regard  to  these  questions. 

Line  308.  Pick  out  the  unusual  and  poetic  words  in  this 
passage  ;  as,  bare-worn,  sped,  etc.  ;  and  show  how  each  is 
peculiarly  fitting  as  used  here. 

Line  330.  William  Black,  the  English  writer,  in  his 
book  on  Goldsmith  calls  this  "  one  of  the  most  perfect  lines 
in  English  poetry."  Study  it  to  see  wherein  its  beauty 
lies. 

Read  lines  337-384.  Where  have  the  inhabitants  of 
Auburn  gone  instead  of  to  the  city,  as  told  in  this  passage  ? 


72       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  342.  What  picture  of  the  world  do  you  have  when 
you  read  the  word,  convex. 

Lines  343,  etc.  Show  in  this  passage  that  Goldsmith's 
knowledge  of  the  New  World  was  not  accurate.  The  Altama 
is  the  Altamaha  River,  in  Georgia. 

Lines  359-362.  Point  out  the  strength  of  the  contrast 
between  Auburn  in  these  four  lines  and  America  above. 

Lines  363-384.  Point  out  the  touches  in  these  lines 
which  bring  sorrow  to  the  reader. 

Read  lines  385-430. 

Lines  385-394.  Show  how  Goldsmith  in  these  lines  re- 
capitulates the  truth  he  is  emphasizing  throughout  The  De- 
serted Village. 

Line  387.  The  word  potions  suggests  what  method  of 
Luxury's  overcoming  the  country  ?  What  words  below  carry 
out  this  same  idea  ? 

Line  403.  Why  are  Toil,  Care,  etc.,  printed  with  capital 
letters  ?  Show  how  the  adjectives  used  with  these  capital- 
ized words  are  especially  appropriate  to  Sweet  Auburn ; 
contented,  hospitable,  etc. 

Line  407.  Why  is  Poetry  the  first  to  fly  ? 

Lines  411-414.  From  studying  Goldsmith's  life,  point 
out  how  his  description  of  poetry  applies  to  his  experiences. 

Lines  421 ,  etc.  Show  how  Poetry  may  accomplish  what 
is  required  of  her  in  the  following  lines. 

After  finishing  the  poem,  let  each  pupil  go  back  to 
select  those  passages  which  please  him  most,  telling  why  he 
likes  them,  whether  on  account  of  the  thought,  or  of  the 
way  in  which  the  thought  is  expressed. 

Pick  out  ten  phrases  or  expressions  which  seem  partic- 
ularly appropriate  and  store  them  in  the  memory  for  use  as 
occasion  demands. 

Also  turn  to  pages  89-92  and  learn  by  heart  five  quota- 
tions which  are  most  worthy  of  remembrance. 

SUBJECTS  FOR  WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  The  Sports  at  Sweet  Auburn. 

2.  The  Changes  in  the  Village. 


GOLDSMITH'S  THE  DESERTED  VILLAGE    73 

3.  The  Cause  of  the  Decay  of  Auburn. 

4.  A  Sketch  of  the  Village  Preacher. 

5.  The  Schoolmaster. 

6.  Comparison  of  the  Pleasures  of  the  Poor  and  of  the 
Rich. 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN1 

MOORES'S  Life  of  Lincoln  is  intended  to  give  boys  and 
girls  an  intimate  view  of  the  character  and  purposes  of  the 
great  Lincoln.  It  will  be  found  admirably  adapted  to  this 
end.  It  is  written  in  an  easy,  familiar  style,  and  the  mate- 
rial lias  been  well  chosen  to  show  how  Lincoln's  early  ex- 
periences trained  him  for  his  mighty  task,  and  to  bring 
out  the  characteristics  of  patience,  tenderness,  and  wisdom, 
which  -make  him  to-day  the  idol  of  the  American  people. 
Best  results  with  this  book  will  be  secured  if  it  is  read  at 
the  time  of  year  when  attention  is  called  to  the  celebration 
of  Lincoln's  birthday  and  when  pupils  are  studying  the  his- 
tory of  the  Civil  War.  As  the  average  course  of  study  is 
arranged,  this  will  be  in  the  second  half  of  the  eighth  grade. 
The  purpose  in  reading  the  Life  of  Lincoln  is  somewhat 
different  from  that  in  the  other  classics  treated  in  this  book. 
The  aim  here  is  not  primarily  to  develop  literary  appre- 
ciation or  to  kindle  love  for  reading,  but  to  lead  to  a  rever- 
ence for  Lincoln  and  to  increase  the  pupil's  knowledge  of 
the  times  in  which  he  lived.  The  questions  are  therefore 
selected  with  these  ends  in  view. 

QUESTIONS   AND   SUGGESTIONS 

CHAPTER  I.  Page  1,  line  5.  Ask  two  pupils  to  look 
up  the  history  of  the  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  by  the 
Quakers  and  report  on  it  to  the  class. 

Page  1,  line  6.  When  and  where  was  Washington  born  ? 

Page  1,  line  8.  Why  should  a  Quaker  refuse  to  join 
Washington's  army  ? 

Page  1,  line  11.  What  are  the  dates  of  the  beginning 
and  the  end  of  the  Revolutionary  War  ? 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
185,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    75 

Page  1,  line  16.  Assign  to  two  pupils  a  report  on  Wash- 
ington's early  experiences  on  the  frontier. 

Page  1,  line  20.  Have  pupils  trace  this  route  on  the 
map.  Continue  to  point  out  the  migrations  of  the  Lincoln 
family  throughout  the  book.  This  map  study  will  make 
more  vivid  the  story  and  help  to  grip  the  interest  in  the 
biography. 

Page  2,  line  23.  Assign  to  two  pupils  a  special  report  on 
Daniel  Boone. 

Page  5,  line  10.  The  teacher  will  find  an  illustrated  ac- 
count of  the  Lincoln  Memorial  built  over  and  around  this 
log  cabin  in  the  Review  of  Reviews  for  February,  1909 
(vol.  42,  p.  172).  Why  did  Lincoln's  ancestors  move  from 
Virginia  to  Kentucky  ?  Why  is  Kentucky  nicknamed  "  the 
dark  and  bloody  ground  "  ?  What  sort  of  man  was  Abra- 
ham Lincoln's  father  ?  How  much  education  did  the  father 
have  ?  What  was  the  maiden  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln's 
mother  ?  Where  and  when  was  Abraham  Lincoln  born  ? 
Pupils  should  locate  this  place  exactly.  It  was  near  the 
present  village  of  Hodgensville.  Describe  the  house  in 
which  Lincoln  was  born.  It  is  important  to  dwell  upon  the 
details  of  Lincoln's  earliest  years  in  order  to  bring  out  more 
vividly  the  greatness  of  his  after  career.  How  much  school- 
ing did  Lincoln  receive  in  his  first  home  in  Kentucky? 
How  else  than  in  school  may  one  secure  an  education  ? 

CHAPTER  II.  Page  7,  line  28.  Why  should  children  of 
seven  not  be  required  to  work  ? 

Page  8,  line  17.  A  picture  of  the  great  seal  of  the  State 
of  Indiana  may  be  found  in  the  front  of  Webster's  New 
International  Dicti6nary. 

What  relation  is  there  between'  education  and  the  right 
to  vote  or  govern  ? 

Why  did  Lincoln's  family  move  from  Kentucky  to  In- 
diana ? 

Describe  their  journey  to  Indiana.  How  old  was  Abraham 
at  this  time  ? 

Describe  the  half-faced  camp  in  which  the  Lincolns 
lived  in  Indiana. 


76       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

What  was  the  principal  book  in  the  Lincoln  household  at 
this  time  ? 

CHAPTER  III.  Page  17,  line  4.  Ask  two  pupils  to  re- 
port on  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh.  See  Genesis,  chapter  XLI. 

Describe  the  change  which  was  made  in  the  Lincoln  cabin 
when  the  stepmother  came. 

What  influence  did  Abraham's  stepmother  have  on 
him  ? 

How  can  it  be  said  that  Lincoln's  boyhood  was  happy  in 
the  midst  of  so  many  hardships  ? 

Tell  the  story  of  Lincoln's  reading  Weems's  Life  of 
Washington.  The  teacher  should  try  to  secure  this  book 
from  the  public  library  and  read  from  it  to  the  pupils. 

CHAPTER  IV.  Page  19,  line  6.  What  are  day-dreams  ? 
Of  what  value  are  they  to  young  people  ? 

Page  19,  line  16.  Have  a  special  report  or  a  debate  by 
two  pupils  on  the  respective  merits  of  Jackson  and  Clay. 

Page  19,  line  18.  Campbellites  was  a  nickname  given 
to  the  members  of  the  church  now  known  as  the  "  Christ- 
ian," the  "  Church  of  Christ,"  or  the  "  Disciples  of  Christ." 
This  denomination  was  founded  by  Alexander  Campbell  in 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Page  19,  line  20.  Robert  Owen,  a  Welsh  manufacturer 
who  was  deeply  interested  in  improving  social  conditions, 
set  up  a  colony  at  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  in  1824,  where 
everything  was  to  be  owned  in  common.  The  colony  failed 
after  a  few  years. 

Page  22,  line  31.  Have  several  of  JEsop's  Fables  told  in 
the  class ;  as,  The  Dog  in  the  Manger,  The  Lion  and  the 
Mouse,  The  Sun  and  the  Wind.  Of  what  value  do  you 
think  such  fables  as  these  are  in  education  ?  How  could  the 
earning  of  a  dollar 'make  Lincoln  a  more  hopeful  and  con- 
fident boy  ?  Name  the  difficulties  which  kept  Lincoln  from 
attending  school.  How  long  did  he  go  to  school  in  all  ? 
What  did  he  learn  in  school  ?  Describe  how  Lincoln  studied 
the  meaning  of  language. 

CHAPTER  V.  Page  27,  line  24.  Have  two  pupils  report 
on  the  Black  Hawk  War. 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    77 

Page  29,  line  8.  Special  reports  should  be  made  on 
Burns  and  on  Shakespeare. 

Page  30,  line  19.  Two  pupils  should  be  required  to 
make  a  special  report  on  Blackstone's  Commentaries,  tell- 
ing what  they  are,  when  they  were  written,  and  what  their 
importance  is  in  the  study  of  law  to-day. 

Page  31,  line  2.  When  did  the  Whig  party  spring  up  ? 
What  were  this  party's  leading  political  views  ?  What  party 
now  has  about  the  same  views  ?  (Answers  to  these  and  simi- 
lar questions  will  be  found  in  the  school  history  in  use  by 
the  pupils.) 

Relate  an  incident  which  illustrates  Lincoln's  kindness. 

In  what  two  ways  did  his  trips  to  New  Orleans  help 
specially  to  prepare  him  for  his  future  work  ? 

What  led  to  Lincoln's  being  elected  captain  of  the  com- 
pany for  the  Black  Hawk  War  ? 

How  did  Lincoln's  experience  on  this  campaign  trip  lead 
him  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  legislature  ? 

What  are  the  pleasing  features  of  his  speeches  in  this 
campaign  ? 

At  what  age  did  Lincoln  first  study  English  grammar  ? 

What  other  books  did  he  study  at  this  time  ?  What  influ- 
ence did  these  books  have  on  his  later  life  ? 

CHAPTER  VI.  Page  32,  line  2.  In  order  to  impress 
upon  pupils  the  varied  experiences  of  Lincoln's  early  life, 
as  well  as  the  humble  position  from  which  he  rose,  ask 
them  to  remember  the  different  occupations  in  which  he 
had  thus  far  been  engaged. 

Page  32,  line  11.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  poli- 
tician and  a  statesman  ?  How  does  this  sentence  show  Lin- 
coln to  have  been  a  statesman  ? 

Page  32,  line  28.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  slavery 
was  lawful  ?  Find  what  the  Constitution  said  about  slavery. 
See  Article  I,  Sections  2  and  9. 

Page  33,  line  13.  Explain  how  slavery  is  founded  on 
injustice  and  on  bad  policy. 

Page  35,  line  30.  What  is  a  presidential  elector  ?  Ex- 
plain fully  the  method  of  electing  the  President  of  the 
United  States. 


78       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

What  were  the  different  experiences  which  led  Lincoln 
to  become  a  good  debater  ? 

Why  was  Lincoln  called  "  Honest  Abe  Lincoln  "  ? 

What  good  advice  did  Lincoln  give  in  regard  to  learning 
the  law  ? 

What  led  Lincoln  to  enter  politics  ? 

CHAPTER  VII.  Page  41,  line  27.  Have  a  special  report 
on  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  showing  where  it  ran  and  why 
it  was  so  called. 

Page  43,  line  10.  Have  a  special  report  on  the  history  of 
Texas  up  to  1846. 

Page  43,  line  20.  How  are  Senators  elected  ? 

What  traits  of  character  made  Lincoln  popular  in  Spring- 
field society  ? 

In  what  two  campaigns  did  Lincoln  first  go  through  the 
State  of  Illinois,  making  speeches  ? 

Explain  what  the  Missouri  Compromise  was.  When  was 
it  agreed  upon  by  Congress  ?  Who  first  suggested  it  ? 

What  did  the  people  of  the  Slave  States  wish  to  do  to 
extend  slavery  ? 

What  did  the  Whig  party  wish  to  do  with  slavery  ? 

What  did  Lincoln  mean  by  a  "  negro  livery  stable  "  ? 

What  was  the  first  blow  Lincoln  tried  to  strike  at  slavery 
while  he  was  in  Congress  ? 

Why  did  this  plan  fail  ? 

CHAPTER  VIII.  Page  45,  line  1.  When  was  Texas  ad- 
mitted to  the  Union?  (Most  school  histories  give  tables 
showing  when  the  different  states  were  admitted.  These 
tables  may  also  be  found  in  the  World  Almanac.) 

Page  47,  line  26.  Ask  two  pupils  to  find  what  they  can 
about  Euclid. 

How  did  practicing  law  by  riding  the  circuit  help  to 
develop  Lincoln's  ability  ? 

Give  two  illustrations  to  show  Lincoln's  honesty  as  a 
lawyer. 

Describe  Lincoln's  method  of  arguing  law  cases. 

How  did  Lincoln's  ability  as  a  story-teller  help  him  ? 

How  did  Lincoln  as  a  lawyer  spend  his  spare  time  ? 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    79 

CHAPTER  IX.  Page  57,  line  29.  Bring  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  into  class  and  have  it  read  aloud. 

What  was  the  effect  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  in  the 
North? 

What  was  Douglas's  plan  of  settling  the  slavery  question 
in  new  states  ? 

What  was  the  effect  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise on  the  territories  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  ? 

What  was  Lincoln's  attitude  toward  the  extension  of 
slavery  ? 

How  did  Lincoln  show  that  he  had  sympathy  with  the 
South  ? 

What  was  the  purpose  of  forming  the  Republican  party  ? 
In  what  year  was  it  organized  ? 

CHAPTER  X.  Describe  the  contrast  between  Lincoln  and 
Douglas  both  in  regard  to  their  appearance  and  their  his- 
tory. 

What  was  the  purpose  of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debates  ? 

What  was  Lincoln's  point  of  view  in  regard  to  slavery  in 
these  debates  ?  What  was  Douglas's  ?  What  impression  did 
Lincoln  make  on  his  audience?  What  was  the  effect  of 
these  debates  on  the  Nation? 

CHAPTER  XL  Page  69,  line  13.  Set  before  the  class 
briefly  who  Field,  Greeley,  and  Bryant  were  by  means  of  a 
sentence  concerning  each  one. 

Page  69,  line  23.  Joseph  H.  Choate  is  one  of  the  coun- 
try's most  distinguished  lawyers  and  has  been  our  am- 
bassador to  Great  Britain. 

Page  70,  line  17.  How  does  the  Constitution  show  that 
its  framers  planned  to  do  away  with  slavery  ?  See  Article 
I,  Section  9. 

Page  70,  line  28.  How  did  Lincoln  show  his  patience 
toward  slavery  in  this  speech  ? 

Page  71,  line  12.  Put  in  your  own  words  the  argument 
for  the  freedom  of  the  negro  as  given  in  the  speech  in  this 
paragraph. 

Page  73,  line  7.  Have  a  special  report  on  Isaiah  and 
John  the  Baptist. 


80       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  75,  line  27.  What  did  Seward  mean  by  a  higher 
law? 

How  did  Lincoln's  Cooper  Institute  speech  change  the 
attitude  of  the  East  toward  him  ? 

How  did  it  come  about  that  Lincoln  was  nominated  for 
the  Presidency  in  preference  to  Seward  ? 

CHAPTER  XII.  Page  77,  line  25.  What  different  views 
of  slavery  did  the  four  candidates  for  the  Presidency  in 
1860  hold  ? 

Page  79,  line  7.  If  they  hear  not  Moses  ?  See  Luke  xvi, 
31.  Have  all  Biblical  references  verified  throughout  the 
book. 

Page  79,  line  21.  In  a  word,  tell  who  these  men  were. 

Page  79,  line  24.  Have  a  special  report  by  two  pupils 
on  what  the  school  history  used  in  your  school  says  of  the 
Abolition  movement. 

Page  79,  line  34.  Show  Lincoln's  patience  with  existing 
conditions  of  slavery  in  this  speech. 

Page  82,  line  4.  Why  do  you  think  these  Senators  re' 
signed  ? 

Page  83,  line  14.  Tell  what  you  admire  in  this  speech. 

What  special  significance  was  there  in  calling  Lincoln 
the  "  Rail-Splitter  "  ? 

Give  instances  of  Lincoln's  religious  feelings. 

Why  did  the  South  secede  ? 

CHAPTER  XIII.  Page  85,  line  13.  What  did  Lincoln 
mean  by  saying  that  the  preservation  of  the  Union  de- 
pended on  the  people  ? 

Page  88,  line  24.  What  is  the  business  of  the  Cabinet  ? 

Page  89,  line  23.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  sentence, 
A  peaceful  revolution  was  taking  place. 

Page  92,  lines  1-9.  Commit  these  lines  to  memory. 

Show  how  Lincoln's  sense  of  humor  helped  him  endure 
his  trials. 

Show  by  his  inaugural  address  how  patient  Lincoln  still 
was  with  the  South. 

CHAPTER  XIV.  Page  93,  line  10.  To  what  political 
party  did  Buchanan  belong  ?  Lincoln  ?  It  was  formerly 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    81 

the  custom  to  change  the  government  officers  from  one 
party  to  the  other  when  the  parties  in  power  changed. 
This  explains  why  so  many  office-seekers  besieged  President 
Lincoln.  Since  the  enactment  of  the  Civil  Service  Law  in 
1883,  many  officials  hold  office  by  merit,  that  is,  as  long 
as  they  perform  their  duties  satisfactorily,  although  the  in- 
cumbents of  the  most  important  places  are  still  changed 
when  the  dominant  party  changes. 

Page  96,  line  8.  The  great  seal  of  the  State  of  South 
Carolina  shows  the  palmetto  tree. 

Page  97,  line  16.  What  trait  of  character  did  Lincoln 
here  show  in  thus  deciding  to  hold  Fort  Sumter  ? 

Page  97,  line  32.  Explain  the  difference  between  speak- 
ing of  the  flag  as  a  decoration  and  as  a  sacred  thing. 

Page  98,  line  6.  In  view  of  the  action  of  the  South  in 
seceding,  what  added  force  did  the  term,  National  Union, 
have? 

Page  98,  line  16.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  vol- 
unteer army  and  the  regular  army  ? 

Page  98,  line  22.  Find  the  passage  in  the  Constitution 
which  makes  the  President  commander-in-chief  of  the 
army. 

Describe  in  your  own  words  the  situation  in  the  United 
States  when  Lincoln  was  inaugurated. 

In  what  respects  was  Lincoln's  plan  of  dealing  with  the 
South  at  the  time  of  his  inauguration  better  than  the  plans 
suggested  by  other  prominent  men  ? 

How  did  Lincoln  again  show  his  patience  with  the 
South  ? 

What  effect  on  the  people  of  the  North  did  the  fall  of 
Sumter  have  ? 

What  sort  of  character  did  Douglas  show  on  this  occa- 
sion ? 

CHAPTER  XV.  Page  100,  line  3.  Why  was  the  South 
ready  and  the  North  unprepared  ? 

Page  100,  line  6.  What  is  meant  by  a  sovereign  state  f 
Can  you  understand  the  Southern  point  of  view  in  regard  to 
their  right  to  secede  ? 


82       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Page  100,  line  14.  If  slavery  was  the  deep  underlying 
cause  of  the  war,  what  was  the  immediate  or  apparent  cause  ? 

Page  100,  line  21.  How  many  Slave  States  were  there  ? 
How  many  joined  the  Confederacy  ? 

Page  105,  line  33.  What  is  especially  fine  about  this 
letter  ? 

Considering  the  fact  that  the  South,  with  smaller  popula- 
tion and  less  wealth  than  the  North,  held  out  for  four  years, 
what  can  you  say  about  the  character  of  the  Southerners  ? 

Give  instances  of  the  great  sorrow  which  the  war  brought 
upon  Lincoln. 

CHAPTER  XVI.  Show  what  Lincoln  meant  by  calling  his 
love  of  fun  his  safety-valve. 

Which  instance  of  Lincoln's  love  of  children  told  in  this 
chapter  do  you  like  best  ? 

CHAPTER  XVII.  Page  118,  line  32.  What  did  Lincoln 
mean  by  calling  emancipation  a  military  necessity  ? 

Page  120,  line  30.  See  study  of  the  Gettysburg  Speech, 
page  84  of  this  book. 

Show  how  Lincoln  thought  God  was  guiding  him  through 
the  war. 

How  could  Lincoln  explain  his  course  in  freeing  the 
slaves  when  he  had  many  times  said  that  the  South  law- 
fully held  slaves  ? 

What  was  Lincoln's  great  purpose  through  all  the  war  ? 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  Page  123,  line  27.  Explain  why 
Lincoln  was  now  among  friends,  whereas  f our ,  years  before 
he  had  been  among  enemies. 

Page  124,  line  19.  "  Woe  unto  the  world."  See  Mat- 
thew xvin,  7. 

Page  125,  line  3.  "  The  judgments  of  the  Lord,"  etc. 
See  Psalm  xix,  9. 

Page  125,  line  5.  Every  pupil  should  commit  to  memory 
lines  5-12. 

Page  125,  line  24.  Have  the  Thirteenth  Amendment 
read  to  the  class. 

Page  127,  line  27.  What  is  treason  ?  See  Constitution, 
Article  in,  Section  3. 


MOORES'S  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    83 

Page  127,  line  30.  What  is  the  difference  between  re- 
venge, punishment,  and  pardon  ? 

Page  128,  line  4.  "  Judge  not,"  etc.  See  Matthew  vii,  1. 

Page  128,  line  24.  What  is  the  difference  between  the 
terms,  rebel  and  Confederate  ? 

Page  129,  line  10.  Why  is  the  Confederacy  spoken  of 
as  a  hopeless  cause  ? 

Page  131,  &we  14.  "  There  was  not  a  house,"  etc.  See 
Exodus  xii,  30. 

What  spirit  did  Lincoln  show  in  his  second  inaugural 
address  ? 

What  slaves  were  freed  by  the  Thirteenth  Amendment  ? 

Give  further  instances  of  Lincoln's  trust  in  God. 

What  traits  of  character  enabled  Lincoln  to  carry  for- 
ward the  war  as  he  did  ? 

Why  has  Lincoln's  fame  increased  as  the  years  have 
passed  by? 

Why  has  Lincoln's  Birthday  been  proclaimed  a  holiday 
in  many  states  ? 

SUBJECTS   FOR  WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

1.  How  Lincoln's  Boyhood  prepared  him  for  his  Life- 
work. 

2.  Lincoln's  Education. 

3.  Lincoln  as  a  Lawyer. 

4.  Lincoln's  Popularity  with  the  People. 

5.  Lincoln's  Hatred  of  Slavery. 

6.  The  Lincoln-Douglas  Debates. 

7.  Lincoln  as  a  Story-teller. 

8.  The  Cause  of  the  Civil  War. 

9.  The  Emancipation  Proclamation. 
10.  Lincoln's  Fame. 


LINCOLN'S   GETTYSBURG  SPEECH1 

LINCOLN'S  Gettysburg  Speech  is  now  by  universal  agree- 
ment regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  speeches  ever  delivered 
and  one  of  the  choicest  examples  of  English  composition. 
It  was  spoken  by  President  Lincoln  on  the  battlefield  at 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon of  Thursday,  November  19,  1863,  upon  the  occasion 
of  the  setting-apart  a  portion  of  the  battlefield  as  a  national 
cemetery.  The  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought  July  1,  2, 
and  3,  1863,  and  was  one  of  the  most  important  engage- 
ments of  the  entire  Civil  War.  The  Confederate  army  at  this 
time  reached  its  most  northern  point  and  threatened  the 
cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Washington.  As  a  result  of  this 
battle,  the  Confederates  were  driven  back  south  and  the 
tide  of  affairs  set  in  more  strongly  favorable  for  the  North 
than  ever  before.  Soon  after  the  battle,  Mr.  Daniel  Wills, 
a  resident  of  Gettysburg,  proposed  to  establish  here  a 
national  cemetery.  The  suggestion  was  heartily  approved 
by  the  governor  of  Pennsylvania  and  by  the  governors  of 
other  Northern  States  whose  soldiers  fell  on  this  battle- 
field. Rapid  progress  was  made  with  the  preliminary  ar- 
rangements and  a  large  gathering  of  people  met  at  Gettys- 
burg, November  19,  for  the  dedicatory  exercises.  Edward 
Everett,  the  nation's  most  polished  orator  of  the  time,  was 
selected  to  deliver  the  principal  oration,  and  President  Lin- 
coln was  invited  to  "  set  apart  these  grounds  to  their  sacred 
use  by  a  few  appropriate  remarks."  The  President  trav- 
eled by  a  special  train  from  Washington  the  day  before  the 
exercises.  The  speech  was  written  for  the  most  part  before 
the  President  left  Washington  and  was  finished  at  Gettys- 
burg the  morning  of  the  dedication.  Everett  spoke  for  two 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
32,  published  by  Houghtou  Mifflin  Company. 


LINCOLN'S  GETTYSBURG  SPEECH  65 

hours,  delivering  a  most  scholarly  address.  Lincoln's  speech 
took  only  a  few  minutes  to  deliver,  but  it  was  at  once  recog- 
nized as  a  masterpiece,  as  a  gem  of  oratory. 

The  greatness  of  the  speech  is  due  to  (1)  its  simplicity ; 
(2)  its  nobility  of  thought ;  (3)  its  beauty  of  language ;  and 
(4)  its  embodiment  of  deep  meaning  in  few  words.  This 
speech  may  be  considered  as  a  statement  in  the  briefest 
compass  of  the  reason  for  the  Civil  War.  It  would  seem  as 
if  Lincoln,  whose  mind  had  been  dwelling  for  years  on  the 
question  of  the  saving  of  the  Union,  had  here  concentrated 
all  his  thinking  and  all  the  discussion  of  the  time  in  a  few 
sentences,  expressing  in  simple  and  easily  understood  words 
the  end  for  which  the  nation  was  struggling. 

QUESTIONS   AND  SUGGESTIONS 

The  speech  is  at  once  so  simple  and  so  lofty  that  it  seems 
both  unnecessary  and  almost  disrespectful  to  pick  it  to 
pieces  for  detailed  analysis.  Like  all  great  pieces  of  liter- 
ature it  grows  upon  one  the  more  it  is  studied  and  brooded 
over.  Therefore  it  should  be  committed  to  memory  by  every 
American  boy  and  girl,  and  drilled  upon  until  its  noble 
phrases  are  fixed  indelibly  in  the  memory.  In  no  other  way 
can  the  meaning  of  American  democracy  and  American  in- 
stitutions be  so  deeply  and  yet  so  simply  impressed  upon 
American  youth.  If  teachers  feel  the  need  of  suggestions 
for  further  study,  the  following  hints  may  be  offered  :  — 

Where  is  Gettysburg  ?  Review  the  events  of  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  as  given  in  your  school  history. 

The  battlefield  of  Gettysburg  has  been  set  aside  as  a 
national  park,  and  it  contains  four  hundred  soldiers'  monu- 
ments, erected  by  the  different  states  of  the  Union,  both 
North  and  South,  in  honor  of  their  soldiers  who  fought  and 
died  here.  In  the  cemetery  on  the  battlefield  are  3629  sol- 
diers' graves,  of  which  1630  are  graves  of  unknown  dead. 

Line  1.  What  event  is  referred  to  in  the  first  sentence  ? 

Line  3.  Bring  into  class  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence and  have  it  read  aloud.  In  what  sense  are  men  created 


86       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

equal  —  physically,  mentally,  economically,  or  politically  ? 
What  rights  have  all  men  according  to  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  ?  Do  you  think  the  right  to  an  education  is 
included  among  these  ? 

Line  5.  What  is  a  republic  ?  What  republics  do  you 
know  existing  in  the  world  to-day  besides  the  United 
States  ?  How  long  have  these  republics  been  in  existence  ? 
How  long  has  the  United  States  been  in  existence  ?  (An- 
swers to  the  above  questions  can  be  found  in  the  school  his- 
tory, dictionary,  and  encyclopedia,  and  should  not  be  beyond 
the  ability  of  eighth  grade  pupils  to  find  out.) 

Line  12.  Why  does  Lincoln  use  the  three  words,  dedi- 
cate, consecrate,  and  hallow  f  What  difference  in  meaning 
is  there  among  them  ? 

Line  15.  Show  how  Lincoln  in  this  sentence  was  unable 
to  foretell  the  future. 

Line  18.  What  was  this  unfinished  work  ?  When  was  it 
finished  ? 

Line  22.  What  cause  is  meant  ? 

Line  26.  What  is  meant  by  a  new  birth  of  freedom  ? 
When  had  there  been  a  previous  birth  ? 

Line  27.  What  is  the  difference  in  meaning  among  the 
expressions,  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  peo- 
ple ?  What  sort  of  government  can  there  be,  if  it  is  not 
government  by  the  people  and  for  the  people  ?  What  is  the 
underlying  thought  in  this  speech  ?  What  was  the  real  cause 
of  the  Civil  War  ? 

Why  do  you  think  this  speech  is  now  regarded  as  one  of 
the  greatest  ever  delivered  ? 


LOWELL'S  THE  VISION  OF  SIR 
LAUNFAL i 

THE  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  is  in  some  respects  a  diffi- 
cult poem,  almost  too  difficult  for  seventh  and  eighth  grade 
pupils.  Pupils  of  this  age  will,  however,  grasp  the  meaning 
of  the  poem  when  it  has  been  read  through,  and  this  mean- 
ing will  be  to  their  unfolding  lives  a  truth  of  the  greatest 
force  and  inspiration.  At  the  same  time  the  meaning  of  the 
poem  is  upon  first  reading  obscure  in  many  places  and  its 
poetic  imagery  is  sometimes  too  vague  for  young  readers 
fully  to  appreciate.  The  Riverside  Literature  Series  edition 
of  Sir  Launfal  has  valuable  aids  to  the  understanding  of 
the  poem  in  the  shape  of  suggested  studies  and  of  a  com- 
parison with  Lowell's  other  poems  and  with  other  poets. 
The  present  studies  do  not  aim  to  improve  on  the  sugges- 
tions in  the  Riverside  Literature  Series  edition,  merely  to 
add  some  other  and  perhaps  simpler  notes. 

QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Launfal  should  be  pronounced  Lan'f 51.  Before  beginning 
the  study  of  the  poem,  read  the  explanation  of  the  Holy 
Grail  on  page  101.  What  is  meant  by  a  prelude?  In  the 
first  eight  lines  the  poet  compares  himself  to  a  musician 
who  sits  before  his  instrument,  hardly  knowing  what  he  is 
to  play.  It  is  a  common  practice  for  a  musician  to  sit  down 
at  the  organ  or  piano  with  indecisive  air  and  strike  first 
this  chord,  then  that,  before  beginning  the  piece  he  is  finally 
to  play.  Show  how  each  line  of  the  first  paragraph  describes 
this  attitude.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  musician  act  in  this 
way  ? 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No.  30, 
published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


88       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  7.  Aurora  in  mythology  was  the  goddess  of  dawn 
who  preceded  the  god  of  the  sun.  Auroral  flushes,  there- 
fore, refer  to  the  dawn  of  day  as  the  east  begins  to  light  up 
before  sunrise.  How  is  this  a  fitting  compariso.n  to  the  or- 
ganist ?  Show  how  the  organist,  as  he  warms  to  his  theme 
and  appreciates  better  what  he  is  to  play,  may  be  likened 
to  the  breaking  day,  gradually  becoming  lighter  and  lighter. 
Show  how  this  paragraph  represents  the  poet  who  thinks 
over  a  poem  before  he  begins  to  write  it. 

PRELUDE  TO  PART  FIRST.  The  prelude  proper  begins 
with  line  9.  In  lines  9  and  10  Lowell  was  undoubtedly 
thinking  of  Wordsworth's  Ode,  as  suggested  in  the  foot- 
notes. The  teacher  should  bring  this  poem  into  class  and 
read  the  first  stanzas  to  the  pupils,  explaining  to  them  the 
meaning  of  the  poem,  if  they  do  not  understand  it.  Pupils 
themselves  should  be  required  to  read  the  Biblical  refer- 
ence to  Sinai  (Exodus,  chapter  xix)  and  answer  the  ques- 
tions on  page  104. 

Line  13.  The  meaning  of  this  paragraph  will  not  be 
clear  to  young  pupils,  but  with  the  aid  of  the  studies  on 
pages  104  and  105,  the  teacher  may  help  the  children  to 
project  themselves  into  their  future  years,  and  to  realize 
the  influence  which  Nature  has  upon  man.  The  sky,  the 
wind,  the  mountain,  the  wood,  the  sea,  which  are  the  prin- 
cipal features  of  Nature,  are  all  types  of  strength,  and  of 
honest  performance  of  duty,  and  therefore  to  the  thought- 
ful man  are  inspirations  to  better  living. 

Lines  21-32.  Follow  closely  the  studies  on  page  105. 

Line  21.  Earth  means  the  world  in  which  we  live.  It  is 
sometimes  said  that  the  world  owes  every  man  a  living.  Do 
you  think  Lowell  believed  this  ? 

Lines  22-24.  Where  are  beggars  or  paupers  buried  ? 
Everyone  who  has  any  money  whatever  must  buy  a  burial 
lot  in  the  cemetery.  What  does  shrive  mean  ?  The  priest 
and  the  minister  must  of  course  receive  a  salary  so  as  to  be 
able  to  pay  their  way  in  the  world.  Why  should  the  priest 
be  especially  mentioned  here? 

Lines  25-26.  If  a  person  indulges  in  sinful  pleasures, 


LOWELL'S  THE  VISION  OF  SIR  LAUNFAL      89 

which  Lowell  speaks  of  as  buying,  dross  at  the  Devil's  booth, 
he  pays  for  them  in  ill-health  or  lost  reputation  as  well  as  in 
money. 

Lines  27—28.  If  the  teacher  can  show  a  picture  of  a 
court  fool,  the  pupil  will  understand  why  the  cap  and  bells 
are  spoken  of.  We  sometimes  say  that  a  person  has  made  a 
fool  of  himself,  which  gives  the  same  meaning  as  that  ex- 
pressed here. 

Lines  29-32.  In  lines  21-28,  the  author  is  dealing  with 
one's  relations  with  other  people;  in  lines  29-32,  with  one's 
relations  with  Nature.  While  men  make  one  pay  for  all 
one  gets  from  men,  the  natural  world  may  be  enjoyed  by 
all  freely  and  everyone  may  come  into  direct  relationship  to 
God  by  means  of  prayer.  This  thought  of  Nature  reminds 
the  author  of  the  beauty  of  spring  and  he  gives  us  one  of  the 
most  charming  descriptions  of  a  day  in  early  summer  which 
has  ever  been  written.  This  is  within  the  comprehension  of 
seventh  and  eighth  grade  pupils,  and  the  teacher  should  so 
teach  this  passage  as  to  lead  to  its  hearty  appreciation.  Pupils 
should  at  first  read  through  lines  33-95  without  stopping  to 
analyze  them,  to  get  as  a  whole  the  thought  which  the  author 
wishes  to  convey.  Then  they  should  go  back  and  study  the 
lines  in  detail  in  order  to  appreciate  more  fully  their  beauty. 

Lines  35—36.  You  have  seen  a  violinist  in  tuning  his 
violin  bend  his  head  and  lay  his  ear  over  the  instrument. 
So  Heaven  is  conceived  by  the  poet  as  laying  its  ear  over 
the  earth,  to  see  if  everything  is  ready  to  grow. 

Lines  37-38.  Mention  some  living  things  which  we  can 
hear  in  June  and  some  things  which  we  can  see  shine. 

Lines  39-42.  The  most  wonderful  thing  in  Nature  is 
how  the  seed,  put  into  the  soil,  grows  and  develops.  This 
is  a  constant  miracle  which  defies  human  explanation.  The 
poet  here  speaks  as  if  plants  had  souls  or  spirits  like  man. 
This  is  not  an  uncommon  idea  with  poets  and  men  of 
thought. 

Line  44.  Explain  how  thrilling  is  a  good  word  to  use 
here  as  one  looks  at  growing  Nature  in  the  spring. 

Line  45.  Startles  means,  starts  to  grow. 


90       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Lines  47-48.  Mention  some  of  the  creatures  that  reside 
in  leaves  and  grass. 

Lines  49-52.  A  little  bird  singing  is  a  familiar  scene  in 
summer.  How  does  Lowell  explain  the  reason  for  its  sing- 
ing so  gayly. 

Line  56.  Which  song  do  you  think  Lowell  considers 
best  ?  What  is  the  proper  meaning  of  the  word  nice  ?  This  is 
a  good  example  of  its  correct  use.  Nice  is  one  of  the  words 
that  frequently  is  used  carelessly  and  improperly. 

Lines  57-64.  From  Nature  itself  the  poet  now  turns  to 
the  effect  of  this  beautiful  scene  on  man.  Which  part  of 
the  year  seems  to  you  the  fullest,  best,  most  joyous  ?  Pu- 
pils who  do  not  live  by  the  sea  and  who  have  never  observed 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  can  only  imagine  the  difference 
that  is  made  when  the  tide  comes  in  and  covers  the  bare 
sand.  So  it  is  in  summer  when  life  is  so  full  and  glad  as  to 
make  us  cover  our  sorrows  with  the  joy  of  living. 

Lines  65-79.  Do  you  think  Lowell  exaggerates  in  saying 
that  we  can  feel  things  grow  ? 

Lines  80-95.  In  these  lines  is  the  climax  of  the  prelude. 
Show  how  the  poet's  thought  in  the  prelude  has  risen  from 
Nature  to  man's  happiness.  Is  it  easier  to  be  good  in  pleas- 
ant weather  than  in  gloomy  ?  What  lines  suggest  that  we 
forget  our  anger  in  summer  ?  Why  should  a  summer  scene 
like  this  rouse  Sir  Launf  al  to  keep  his  vow  ?  Select  the  parts 
of  this  description  which  you  like  best  and  commit  them  to 
memory.  This  is  choice  language  and  you  will  find  it  a 
treasure  all  your  life  to  have  these  words  stored  up  in  your 
mind. 

PART  FIRST.  Lines  96-108.  What  vow  had  Sir  Laun- 
fal  taken  ?  Sir  Launfal  was  one  of  King  Arthur's  Knights 
of  the  Round  Table  and  they  frequently  vowed  to  find  the 
Holy  Grail.  Read  again  page  101.  What  vision  do  you 
think  Sir  Launfal  is  looking  for  ?  Why  does  he  think  the 
vision  would  come  more  quickly  while  he  slept  on  rushes  ? 
The  rest  of  the  poem  is  the  vision  or  dream  which  came  to 
Launfal  as  he  slept  on  the  rushes. 

Lines  109-127.  Describe  in  your  own  words  the  contrast 


LOWELL'S  THE  VISION  OF  SIR  LAUNFAL     91 

between  the  world  in  summer  and  the  castle,  as  depicted 
by  the  poet.  The  North  Countree  is  the  northern  part  of 
England.  Answer  the  questions  on  the  siege  of  the  castle  by 
summer,  as  found  on  page  108. 

Line  122.  Pavilions  of  Summer  means  the  trees  of  the 
forest. 

Lines  128-129.  A  castle  was  surrounded  with  a  moat,  or 
ditch  containing  water,  and  to  enter  the  castle  it  was  necessary 
to  let  down  a  bridge  over  this  moat.  Describe  in  your  own 
language  the  appearance  of  Sir  Launfal  as  he  rode  forth. 
Why  is  the  bright  appearance  especially  well  fitted  to  the 
knight  and  his  errand  ? 

Lines  147-173.  Refer  to  page  108,  and  make  the  plot 
outline,  as  there  suggested.  Make  a  special  study  in  dic- 
tionary and  encyclopedia  of  leprosy,  so  as  to  be  able  the  better 
to  picture  the  scene  here  described.  How  could  Sir  Launfal 
make  morn  appear,  that  is,  brighten  the  gate  as  he  rode 
forth  ?  What  is  meant  by  scorn  in  line  158  ?  Why  did  the 
leper  refuse  the  gold  ?  How  else  can  one  give  than  from  a 
sense  of  duty?  What  is  meant  by  "the  all-sustaining 
beauty  "  ?  How  does  this  spirit  of  love  unite  everything  ? 
What  makes  a  gift  acceptable,  that  is,  makes  it  a  store,  a 
large  store,  a  large  amount,  even  if  the  gift  itself  is  small  ? 

PRELUDE  TO  PART  SECOND.  Lines  174r-210.  What  is 
the  contrast  between  the  prelude  to  the  second  part  and 
that  to  the  first  part  ?  You  will  see  as  you  go  on  to  Part 
Second  why  the  poet  chooses  a  winter  scene  here. 

Line  175.  How  can  snow  be  five  thousand  summers  old  ? 
What  special  force  is  there  in  saying  five  thousand  sum- 
mers rather  than  five  thousand  winters  ?  If  you  have  been 
in  the  country  in  winter,  you  may  have  seen  a  brook  with 
a  roof  frozen  over  it,  the  water  running  underneath. 

Line  178.  Look  in  the  dictionary  for  a  picture  to  show 
you  what  a  groined  arch  is. 

Line  187.  What  are  the  summer  delights,  sculptured  by 
the  frost  ?  You  have  seen  similar  results  of  the  frost  on  the 
windows  in  winter. 

Lines  211-239.  What  impression  of  the  castle  did  we  get 


92       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

in  Part  First  ?  Why  is  a  contrast  desired  here  between  the 
castle  hall  and  Sir  Launf  al  ? 

Line  213.  Look  in  the  dictionary  for  a  picture  of  a 
corbel. 

Lines  217—218.  Can  you  imagine  how  the  flames  in  a 
grate  fire  look  like  a  flag  in  the  wind  ? 

Line  219.  You  have  heard  the  sap  hiss  in  a  wood  fire. 
Do  you  know  how  the  locust's  cry  sounds  ? 

Line  220.  Where  are  the  galleries  in  the  wood  in  which 
sap  is  iriiprisoned  ? 

Line  223.  Where  are  the  soot-forest's  tangled  darks,  in 
which  the  sparks  fly  about? 

Line  226.  What  is  supposed  to  have  happened  to  Sir 
Launfal  since  the  close  of  Part  First  ?  What  is  his  condi- 
tion now  ?  What  feeling  do  you  have  as  you  re"ad  lines  225- 
239~?"'H6w  cfo  your  feelings  compare  with  those  which  you 
had  when  reading  about  the  leper  in  Part  First  ?  Compare 
the  two  preludes  as  suggested  on  page  110. 

PART  SECOND.  Why^is  a  different  time  of  year  repre- 
sented here  from  that  in  Part  First  ? 

Line  251.  How  had  it  come  about  that  another  occupied 
the  castle  ?  Why  was  Sir  Launfal  not  troubled  about  the 
loss  of  his  earldom  ?  What  did  trouble  him  ? 

Line  255.  The  cross  was  the  emblem  of  chivalry,  used 
by  all  the  knights  of  the  Middle  Ages.  See  pictures  of  the 
cross  in  the  illustration  opposite  page  6. 

Lines  258-301.  What  did  Sir  Launfal  think  of  as  he 
sat  and  mused?  How  did  the  question  of  the  leper  in  line 
273  recall  Sir  Launfal  from  his  dream  of  the  camels  in  the 
desert  ?  What  had  changed  Sir  Launfal's  opinion  of  the  leper 
from  what  it  had  been  in  Part  First  ?  How  can  the  leper  be  an 
image  of  Christ  ?  Pupils  should  read  Matthew  xxvn,  29- 
50,  also  John  xx,  24-29,  to  be  familiar  with  the  Biblical 
allusions  in  lines  281-285.  In  what  sense  did  the  brown 
bread  become  wheaten  and  the  water  become  wine  ?  What 
spirit  did  Sir  Launfal  show  as  he  shared  his  bread  and  water 
with  the  leper  ? 

Lines  302-347.  Account  for  the  changed  appearance  of 


LOWELL'S  THE  VISION  OF  SIR  LAUNFAL      93 

the  leper  in  the  eyes  of  Sir  Launfal.  The  Beautiful  Gate, 
the  main  entrance  to  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem.  See  Acts 
in,  2. 

Into  whom  did  the  leper  appear  to  be  changed  as  he 
stood  beside  Sir  Launfal  ?  Explain  how  the  leper  or  Christ 
might  be  called  the  Gate.  Find  the  lines  which  express  the 
heart  of  the  truth  that  Lowell  wishes  to  teach  in  this  poem. 
What  does  line  328  suggest  as  to  how  Sir  Launfal  had 
had  the  experiences  described  in  the  poem  ?  Why  had  Sir 
Launfal  no  further  need  for  his  armor  ?  Go  through  the 
last  paragraph,  beginning  with  line  334,  and  explain  the 
changes  which  had  come  over  the  castle.  What  has  caused 
this  great  change  ?  Compare  the  success  of  Summer's 
Siege  with  the  failure  as  described  in  Part  First.  In  what 
sense  can  it  be  said  that  the  poor  man  was  as  much  lord  of 
the  castle  as  Sir  Launfal  ? 

What  is  the  great  lesson  which  the  poet  sought  to  teach 
in  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  ? 

SUBJECTS   FOR   WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

1.  The  Beauty  of  "  a  Day  in  June." 

2.  The  Free  Gifts  of  Nature. 

3.  The  Meaning  of  the  Prelude  to  Part  First. 

4.  The  Holy  Grail. 

5.  Sir  Launfal's  Vow. 

6.  Summer's  Siege  of  the  Castle. 

7.  Sir  Launfal  and  the  Leper. 

8.  The  Contrast  between  the  Preludes  to  Part  First  and 
Part  Second. 

9.  Sir  Launfal's  Return. 

10.  True  Charity. 

11.  The  Meaning  of  Sir  Launfal's  Vision. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  OESAR1 

WHEN  Julius  Ccesar  is  read  in  the  eighth  grade  it  is  the 
pupil's  introduction  to  Shakespeare  and  to  the  drama.  It 
cannot  be  expected,  therefore,  that  the  literary  criticism  of 
the  play  will  form  an  important  part  of  the  study.  The  pur- 
pose in  reading  Julius  Ccesar  in  the  grammar  school  must 
be  to  whet  the  appetite  for  Shakespeare,  and  the  means  to 
be  used  must  be  a  simple  understanding  of  the  plot  and 
of  the  lines  as  they  occur.  To  understand  the  plot,  some 
knowledge  of  Roman  history  is  necessary.  As  grammar 
school  pupils  have  for  the  most  part  not  studied  the  history 
of  Rome,  a  brief  statement  is  here  given  of  the  minimum 
knowledge  required.  This  should  be  given  by  the  teacher  to 
the  class. 

In  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar,  Rome  was  a  Republic.  The 
city  of  Rome  was  founded  in  753  B.C.  and  was  ruled  by 
kings  until  509  B.C.  At  that  time  the  people  expelled  the 
kings  and  set  up  a  republic,  which  endured  until  31  B.C., 
when  Rome  became  an  empire.  Beginning  as  a  city  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber,  the  power  and  influence  'of  Rome  grad- 
ually increased  until  she  ruled  the  greater  part  of  the  civ- 
ilized world.  At  the  time  of  Caesar's  death  (B.C.  44)  the 
Roman  Republic  included  Italy,  France,  Greece,  Northern 
Africa,  and  Asia  Minor.  Under  the  Republic,  the  highest 
authority  in  Rome  was  given  to  two  consuls,  who  ruled 
jointly,  being  elected  for  one  year  at  a  time  by  an  assembly 
of  the  people.  At  the  time  of  this  play,  the  principal  law- 
making  power  was  the  senate,  an  assembly  of  six  hundred 
men,  who  were  chosen  from  among  the  most  influential 
citizens.  The  dictator  was  a  special  official  appointed  in  ex- 
traordinary times  to  exercise  absolute  power  for  a  short 
term. 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
67,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  (LESAR  95 

Julius  Caesar,  whose  name  is  given  by  Shakespeare  to 
this  play,  was  one  of  the  greatest  men  the  world  has  ever 
known  —  great  as  a  general,  as  a  ruler  and  statesman,  and 
as  a  writer.  He  was  born  July  12, 100  B.C.,  and  as  a  young 
man  showed  a  great  interest  in  the  army  and  in  all  pub- 
lic affairs.  After  holding  several  other  offices,  Caesar  was 
elected  one  of  the  consuls  for  the  year  59  B.C.  It  was  the 
custom  to  appoint  the  consuls  to  act  as  governors  of  the 
Roman  provinces,  with  the  title  "  proconsuls,"  after  their 
year  of  service  as  consuls.  Accordingly  in  58  B.C.  Caesar 
was  appointed  to  govern  the  province  of  Gaul  (modern 
France),  a  position  which  he  held  for  nine  years.  During 
this  time  he  conquered  all  the  hostile  tribes  in  Gaul,  and 
crossed  the  Rhine  into  Germany  and  the  English  Channel 
into  England.  The  leaders  in  Rome,  chief  among  them 
Pompey,  became  jealous  of  Caesar's  success  and  power,  and 
civil  war  was  carried  on  in  Italy,  Spain,  Greece,  and  Africa, 
wherever  an  army  could  be  gathered  to  oppose  Caesar.  But 
Caesar  was  successful  in  crushing  all  his  enemies  and  by 
45  B.C.  he  became  practically  the  sole  ruler  of  Rome,  having 
been  elected  dictator.  Having  no  children  of  his  own,  he 
adopted  his  grand-nephew  Octavius  to  be  his  successor.  But 
there  was  continued  opposition  to  Caesar  at  Rome,  which 
resulted  in  a  conspiracy  to  murder  him.  It  is  at  this  point 
that  the  play  of  Julius  Ccesar  opens,  the  time  being  March, 
44  B.C.  The  action  of  the  play  has  to  do  with  the  con- 
spiracy which  led  to  Caesar's  assassination  and  with  the 
course  of  events  immediately  following  the  assassination. 

The  Riverside  edition  of  Julius  Ccesar,  Riverside  Liter- 
ature Series,  No.  67,  has  notes  of  explanation  at  the  foot  of 
each  page,  also  at  the  back  of  the  book.  The  purpose  of  the 
following  notes  is  to  supplement  these  and  to  offer  sugges- 
tions in  regard  to  questions  and  possible  lines  of  study. 
Not  every  question  which  the  teacher  should  ask  is  given 
here.  The  most  obvious  questions  are  omitted  and  only 
those  are  inserted  which  will  provoke  more  careful  thought 
and  study  on  the  pupil's  part. 

A  play  being  composed  of  acts  and  scenes  lends  itself 


96       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

readily  to  a  study  of  wholes.  Pupils  should  be  able  to  tell 
at  the  end  of  each  act  what  its  purpose  is,  what  its  place  is 
in  the  play.  So  should  it  be  with  every  scene  within  the 
act.  Eighth  grade  pupils  can  appreciate  the  gradual  ascent 
of  interest  until  the  climax  is  reached,  then  the  decline,  and 
they  should  watch  to  find  where  this  climax  is.  The  best 
way  to  treat  a  scene  is  for  the  pupil  to  read  it  through  as 
a  whole  and  answer  such  questions  as  these :  Where  is  this 
scene  laid  ?  Who  are  the  characters  in  the  scene  ?  What  is 
the  purpose  of  the  scene  ?  Is  this  purpose  well  carried  out  ? 
What  are  the  striking  passages  in  the  scene  ?  Pupils  should 
study  from  this  point  of  view  in  preparing  their  daily  les- 
sons, not  omitting  to  look  up  unfamiliar  words  and  allu- 
sions —  historical  and  mythological.  In  class,  the  teacher 
should  pursue  a  similar  line  of  questioning.  The  custom  of 
assigning  parts  to  different  pupils  for  oral  reading  in  class 
is  a  good  one,  but  the  best  results  of  this  exercise  can  only 
be  secured  by  giving  out  these  assignments  in  advance  of 
the  recitation  for  special  study  by  certain  pupils.  Eighth 
grade  pupils  cannot  be  expected  to  understand  the  histor- 
ical background  of  this  play  in  its  fullness,  but  enough 
attention  must  be  given  to  this  phase  of  the  subject  to  make 
the  drama  intelligible. 

QUESTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

Julius  Ccesar  is  written  in  iambic  pentameter,  that  is, 
there  are  five  iambic  feet  in  a  line.  See  the  discussion  of 
this  sort  of  meter  in  the  notes  on  Enoch  Arden,  page  111 
of  this  book.  The  first  lines  of  the  first  scene  are  scanned 
as  follows :  — 

Hence  h<5me|  you  f  |dle  cre*a|tures  g6t|  you  Ii6me 
Is  this |  a  holiday  |  What  kn<5w|  you  n6t| 
Being  |  mechan|ical|  you  oiight|  not  walk 
Up6n|  a  labouring  day  I  withoiitl  the  sign 
Of  yoiir|  profession  Speak]  what  trade!  art  tho*u| 

In  the  first  foot  of  line  3,  the  natural  accent  in  the  word 
being  is  on  the  first  syllable.  Be  careful,  therefore,  not  to 
give  too  much  force  to  the  second  syllable,  -ing.  In  the 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  C^SAR  97 

third  foot  of  the  fourth  line,  the  syllables,  -bouring,  are 
spoken  closely  together  so  as  to  be  really  but  one  syllable. 

ACT  I,  SCEXE  I.  Pupils  should  always  refer  to  the 
dramatis  personce  to  learn  who  the  characters  are  in  each 
scene.  Flavius  and  Marullus  are  tribunes,  officials  who  ex- 
ercised a  power  to  veto  the  acts  of  certain  other  public  offi- 
cers. They  appear  only  in  this  scene. 

Line  11.  Cobbler.  This  scene  contains  several  clever 
puns.  Pupils  should  explain  the  force  of  them.  Cobbler 
means  a  clumsy  workman  as  well  as  a  mender  of  shoes. 

Line  19.  Explain  the  two  uses  of  the  expression,  be  out. 

Line  28.  Neat's  refers  to  cattle  as  distinguished  from 
horses,  sheep,  and  goats. 

Line  33.  A  triumph  was  a  special  honor  accorded  to  a 
victorious  general  by  the  senate,  upon  certain  conditions, 
among  which  were  these  ;  that  the  general  must  have  com- 
manded in  person,  that  the  battle  must  have  ended  the 
campaign,  and  that  at  least  five  thousand  of  the  enemy 
must  have  been  slain.  The  triumph  was  a  procession  in 
which  the  general  entered  the  city  in  a  chariot,  drawn  by 
four  horses.  He  was  preceded  by  the  captives  taken  in  war 
and  followed  by  his  troops. 

Line  34.  What  feeling  toward  Caesar  is  indicated  by 
this  speech  of  Marullus  ? 

Line  39.  Pompey  had  at  first  been  Caesar's  friend,  but 
finally  broke  with  him  and  became  his  rival  and  his  enemy. 
He  was  a  great  general  and  was  three  times  given  a  tri- 
umph. 

Line  53.  Pompey 's  blood  means  Pompey's  sons,  not  the 
blood  arising  from  the  death  of  Pompey.  The  triumph  of 
Caesar  here  referred  to  was  for  a  victory  over  the  sons  of 
Pompey. 

Line  56.  The  Romans  believed  in  many  gods  instead  of 
one. 

Line  57.  What  cause  is  suggested  here  for  the  plagues 
and  pestilences  which  afflict  mankind  ? 

Line  58.  What  fault  is  referred  to  ? 

Line  61.  Lowest  stream  means  lowest  part  of  the  stream. 


98       ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  62.  Exalted  shores  —  highest  part  of  the  river 
bank.  Show  the  exaggeration  in  suggesting  that  the  Tiber 
could  be  filled  with  tears. 

Line  62.  Exeunt  is  the  third  person  plural  of  the  present 
tense  of  the  Latin  verb  exeo,  meaning  to  go  out.  This  word 
is  used  to  indicate  that  more  than  one  person  leaves  the 
stage.  Exit  is  the  third  person  singular  and  is  used  when 
but  one  person  leaves. 

Line  63.  This  line  may  be  rewritten,  See  whether  their 
basest  mettle  be  not  moved,  which  suggests  the  meaning 
more  clearly. 

Line  65.  Rome  was  built  on  seven  hills,  one  of  which 
was  called  Capitolinus.  Upon  this  hill  was  a  beautiful  tem- 
ple known  as  the  Capitol,  dedicated  to  Jupiter,  the  greatest 
Roman  god. 

Line  66.  The  streets  of  Rome  were  lined  with  statues 
or  images  of  Caesar  in  honor  of  his  triumph  and  these 
statues  were  decorated  with  scarfs.  Why  should  Flavius 
suggest  that  these  decorations  be  taken  down  ? 

Line  72.  Vulgar,  here  used  as  a  noun,  means  the  com- 
mon populace. 

Line  74.  In  this  first  scene  enough  is  shown  of  the  feel- 
ing of  these  tribunes  toward  Caesar  to  make  lines  74-77  in- 
telligible to  the  class.  Require  a  good  explanation  of  the 
meaning  of  this  passage. 

ACT  I,  SCENE  II.  Flourish.  This  word,  found  frequently 
in  the  stage-directions,  means  a  call  on  the  bugle,  to  attract 
attention  and  to  announce  a  procession  or  some  special 
occasion.  Antony,  a  friend  of  Caesar,  who  had  been  in  com- 
mand of  part  of  Caesar's  army  and  who  this  year  (44  B.C.) 
was  consul  with  Caesar.  For  the  course.  It  was  customary 
at  the  feast  of  the  Lupercalia  for  young  men  to  run  through 
the  streets  in  sport,  striking  in  a  playful  way  those  whom 
they  met. 

Cicero,  the  famous  orator,  who  acts  only  a  minor  part  in 
this  play. 

Brutus,  formerly  a  warm  friend  of  Caesar,  but  now  the 
head  of  the  conspiracy  against  him. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  CLESAR  99 

Line  8.  It  was  a  curious  superstition  that  a  woman, 
touched  by  one  of  the  runners  at  the  feast  of  the  Luper- 
calia,  would  give  birth  to  a  child. 

Line  18.  The  ides  of  March.  The  Romans  reckoned  their 
days  from  three  points  in  the  month,  the  kalends,  or  first  day 
of  every  month,  the  nones,  the  fifth  or  seventh,  and  the  ides, 
the  thirteenth  or  fifteenth.  The  ides  of  March  were  March 
fifteenth. 

Line  24.  Sennet,  a  trumpet  call,  to  announce  an  exit  or 
entrance  on  the  stage.  Which  does  it  indicate  here  ? 

Line  29.  What  indicates  a  quick  spirit  in  Antony  ? 

Line  37.  Taking  Brutus's  speech  as  a  whole,  explain 
why  he  seems  to  have  been  somewhat  cold  to  Cassius. 
What  feelings  or  thoughts  have  troubled  Brutus  ? 

Line  42.  Soil  means  stain. 

Lines  48-78.  Read  through  these  lines  and  then  tell 
what  Cassius  is  trying  to  convince  Brutus  of. 

Line  48.  Mistook  for  mistaken.  Shakespeare  frequently 
interchanges  verb  forms  in  this  way. 

Line  50.  What  thoughts  or  cogitations  does  Cassius 
mean  ? 

Line  59.  Many  of  the  best  respect  means  many  of  the 
most  highly  respected. 

Line  60.  Why  is  Caesar  excepted  from  those  who  saw 
Brutus's  virtues  ? 

Line  61.  Who  is  referred  to  as  a  yoke  on  the  people  ? 

Line  62.  His  eyes.  It  is  hard  to  tell  why  his  is  used 
here.  The  meaning  undoubtedly  is  that  these  highly  re- 
spected citizens  wish  that  Brutus  could  see  through  their 
eyes. 

Line  72.  The  use  of  laughter  here  is  not  clear.  Lover 
would  make  the  meaning  more  evident. 

Line  73.  Stale  is  used  as  a  verb  here  and  the  meaning 
is,  "  If  I  were  in  the  habit  of  making  stale  my  love  with 
common  and  frequent  promises  to  every  one  who  professed 
to  love  me." 

Line  76.  Scandal  is  used  as  a  verb  here. 

Lines  77,  78.    Profess  to  be  a  friend  to  the   common 


100     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

rabble  (rout),  that  is,  to  everybody,  by  giving  them  ban- 
quets. 

What  effect  was  this  argument  of  Cassius  designed  to 
have  on  Brutus  as  regards  Brutus's  relation  to  Caesar  ? 

Line  81.  Why  does  Cassius  express  surprise  here  ? 

Line  86.  Many  of  these  passages  are  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult of  comprehension,  entirely  too  difficult  for  grammar- 
grade  pupils  to  understand  without  the  teacher's  help.  This 
is  a  case  in  point.  The  meaning  of  Brutus  is  that,  if  Cassius 
is  to  speak  of  the  general  welfare  of  all  the  people,  Brutus 
will  regard  this  as  of  more  importance  than  either  honor  or 
death,  that  is,  he  will  live  for  the  good  of  all  instead  of 
working  to  gain  honor  for  himself  or  to  avoid  death. 

Lines  88-89.  The  meaning  is,  "  May  the  gods  so  prosper 
me  that  I  may  love  honor  more  than  I  fear  death." 

Line  90.  The  following  speech  of  Cassius  is  one  of  the 
very  finest  in  the  play  and  in  all  literature.  As  is  suggested 
on  page  ix  of  the  Introduction,  the  speech  in  whole  or  in 
part  should  be  committed  to  memory. 

Line  96.  In  awe  means  afraid  of. 

Line  112.  The  teacher  should  refer  pupils  to  a  translation 
of  the  Mneid  of  Virgil,  Book  iij  lines  634-804,  and  tell 
them  that  this  Latin  poem  is  read  in  the  High  School.  The 
teacher  should  also  read  to  the  class  a  translation  of  this 
part  of  the  Mneid^  describing  the  rescue  of  Anchises. 

Line  116.  Why  does  Cassius  speak  of  Caesar  as  a  god  ? 

Line  119.  What  is  the  significance  of  this  incident  of 
Caesar's  sickness  in  Spain  ? 

Line  123.  Bend  means  bent  or  inclination. 

Line  136.  A  colossus  was  a  giant  statue  of  a  man.  The 
Colossus  of  Rhodes,  on  an  island  in  the  ^Egean  Sea  off  the 
coast  of  Asia  Minor,  was  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the 
ancient  world.  It  was  probably  ninety  feet  high  and  thus 
seemed  to  stand  astride  of  the  world. 

Line  139.  Do  you  believe  that  a  man  can  make  of  him- 
self what  he  wishes  to  ?  Is  the  fault  in  ourselves  or  in  our 
stars,  that  we  are  not  able  to  rise  to  high  position  in  the 
world?  The  ancients  believed  that  the  position  of  the 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  CESAR  101 

stars  at  the  time  of  one's  birth  had '-  aa.  influeucfe  jcn  foft'A 
career. 

Line  152.  The  literatures  of  many  early  peoples  tell  of 
a  great  flood  which  destroyed  all  mankind.  The  Bible,  in 
Genesis,  chapters  VI  and  vn,  describes  one.  Greek  and 
Latin  literatures  record  a  flood  in  Greece  which  destroyed 
all  men  save  Deucalion  and  his  wife  Pyrrha,  who  repeopled 
the  earth  by  throwing  stones  over  their  heads  behind  them. 
The  stones  that  Deucalion  threw  became  men ;  those  that 
Pyrrha  threw,  women. 

Line  156.  A  pun  on  the  words  Rome  and  room  which 
were  pronounced  alike. 

Line  161.  Since  the  expulsion  of  the  kings  (509  B.C.)  the 
name  king  had  been  exceedingly  distasteful  to  the  Romans. 
What  effect  would  this  mention  of  another  Brutus  have  on 
Marcus  Brutus  ? 

Lines  162-163.  Unusual  meanings  of  jealous  and  of 
aim.  What  words  can  be  put  in  their  stead  here  ? 

Line  172.  Villager,  one  who  lived  outside  the  city  of 
Rome  and  was  not  a  citizen. 

Lines  176,  177.  What  is  the  comparison  here  in  speak- 
ing of  striking  fire  ?  How  is  fire  "  struck  out "  of  flint? 

Line  192.  This  speech  of  Caesar's  has  been  often  quoted. 
It  draws  a  comparison  between  men  who  give  themselves 
to  worldly  pleasure  and  enjoyment,  thus  growing  fat  and 
jolly,  and  those  who  lead  a  thoughtful,  intellectual  life. 

Lines  200,  etc.  What  do  we  learn  in  this  speech  concern- 
ing Caesar's  character  ? 

Line  221.  What  is  the  significance  of  saying  that  Caesar 
rejected  the  crown  with  the  back  of  his  hand  ? 

Line  228.  Marry,  a  common  word  in  Shakespeare, 
equivalent  to  our  word  indeed. 

Line  234.  Ask  pupils  to  express  in  their  own  words 
Casca's  opinion  of  Caesar. 

Line  256.  Explain  the  pun  here  on  the  expression,  fall- 
ing sickness. 

Line  265.  An  here  means  if. 

Line  277.  Ay,  meaning  yes,  as  here,  is  pronounced  1. 


102     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  #8-5.  See  Act  I,  "Scene  i,  line  66,  where  Flavius  bids 
Manillas  tear  off  the  decorations  from  Caesar's  statues  on 
the  streets. 

Lines  314-315.  Cassius  means,  "  If  I  were  Brutus  and 
Brutus  were  I,  Caesar  should  not  coax  and  flatter  me  as  he 
does  Brutus." 

Line  316.  Hands  means  handwritings. 

Line  322.  Have  pupils  give  a  brief  summary  of  Scene  ii, 
and  point  out  its  effect  upon  Cassius  and  Brutus,  the  lead- 
ing conspirators  against  Caesar. 

ACT  I,  SCENE  III.  Line  10.  If  you  have  seen  meteors 
or  shooting  stars,  explain  how  their  appearance  might  cause 
fear. 

Line  11.  Civil  strife.  The  meteors,  it  is  suggested,  may 
be  due  to  the  discharge  of  guns  in  a  war  in  heaven. 

Line  15.  What  effect  would  these  wonderful  occurrences 
have  on  the  conspirators  ? 

Line  23.   Upon  a  heap  means  crowded  together. 

Line  26.  The  bird  of  night,  the  owl.  Why  is  it  called 
the  bird  of  night  ? 

Line  48.    Unbraced,  with  dress  opened. 

Line  49.  The  ancients  believed  that  a  stone  fell  from  the 
sky  as  the  result  of  a  flash  of  lightning. 

Line  80.  What  is  the  purpose  of  this  speech  of  Cassius  ? 

Line  89.  What  does  Cassius  mean  to  say  that  he  will  do  ? 

Line  95.  None  of  these  things  can  retain,  hem  in,  or 
confine  the  strong  spirit. 

Line  103.  Go  carefully  through  this  speech  of  Cassius 
to  show  how  skillfully  he  influences  Casca  against  Caesar. 

Line  118.  Be  factious.  That  is,  stir  up  a  faction  or  party 
to  punish  Caesar  for  his  ambitious  designs. 

Line  128.  The  element  means  the  heavens  or  sky.  We 
speak  of  the  elements,  meaning  the  weather. 

Line  129.  In  favour's  like,  the  weather  is  in  appearance 
like  the  work  we  have  in  hand. 

Line  143.  A  prcetor  was  a  judge.  Brutus  was  praetor 
this  year. 

Line  146.   Old  Brutus  refers  to  Lucius  Junius  Brutus, 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS   C^SAR  103 

an  ancestor  of  Marcus  Brutus,  who  led  the  uprising  which 
drove  the  kings  out  of  Rome  in  509  B.C.  (See  Act  i,  Scene 
ii,  line  159.) 

Line  162.  Conceited,  meaning  conceived  or  thought 
out. 

Line  164.  At  this  point  pupils  should  summarize  the 
three  scenes  of  the  first  act  and  forecast  what  the  action 
will  probably  be. 

ACT  II,  SCENE  I.  Why  is  Brutus  in  his  garden  or  or- 
chard at  night  ? 

Line  10.  What  reasons  does  Brutus  give  in  this  speech 
for  thinking  that  Caesar  should  be  killed  ? 

Line  12.  The  general  refers  to  the  people  as  a  whole, 
the  general  community. 

Line  14.  A  line  which  has  become  a  proverb.  What  does 
it  mean  ? 

Line  15.  That  means  granted  that,  suppose  he  is 
crowned. 

Lines  21-27.  Let  pupils  tell  in  their  own  words  what 
this  passage  means. 

Line  44.  Exhalations,  meteors  or  shooting  stars. 

Line  54.  The  last  King  of  Rome  was  Lucius  Tarquinius 
Superbus. 

Line  61.  The  pupils  should  analyze  this  passage,  to  ap- 
preciate the  forceful  way  in  which  is  described  the  growth 
of  determination  upon  a  course  of  action. 

Line  76.  Favour,  appearance. 

Line  83.  If  thou  path.  The  meaning  here  is,  "  if  thou 
walk  in  thy  usual  form,  the  world  of  darkness  (Erebus) 
could  not  hide  thee,  so  terrible  art  thou  in  appearance." 

Line  84.  Erebus,  a  dark  and  gloomy  region  between 
the  earth  and  the  abode  of  the  departed  or  Hades. 

Lines  92-93.  What  is  the  purpose  of  this  flattering  re- 
mark to  Brutus  ? 

Line  114.  Have  pupils  state  in  their  own  language  the 
underlying  thought  in  this  speech  of  Brutus.  What  is  Bru- 
tus's  attitude  toward  the  conspiracy  against  Caesar  as  shown 
in  this  speech  ? 


104     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  129.  Let  priests  and  cowards  swear. 

Line  132.  Require  oaths  of  those  whose  integrity  men 
doubt,  but  it  is  not  necessary  for  such  honorable  and  de- 
termined men  as  we  are  to  bind  ourselves  by  an  oath. 

Line  135.   Or  ...  or  means  either  .  .  .  or. 

Line  138.    A  several  bastardy  means  a    special  act  of 


Line  162.  Have  pupils  give  in  their  own  words  the 
course  of  Brutus's  argument  against  the  killing  of  Antony. 
To  us  the  coolness  with  which  Brutus  discusses  the  differ- 
ent aspects  of  murder  here  is  positively  brutal. 

Line  175.  A  negative  is  understood  in  this  line,  let  not 
our  hearts. 

Line  196.  Quite  different  from  the  opinion  he  formerly 
held  that  dreams  and  religious  ceremonies  had  no  positive 
meaning. 

Line  200.  An  augur  was  a  religious  official  at  Rome 
whose  duty  it  was  to  answer  questions  in  regard  to  the  fu- 
ture by  observing  the  flight  and  action  of  birds,  the  entrails 
of  beasts,  by  signs  in  the  sky,  etc. 

Line  215.  Doth  bear  Ccesar  hard  means  is  angry  with 
Ccesar. 

Line  216.  Hated,  berated,  scolded. 

Line  230.  Slumber  as  sweet  and  refreshing  as  dew  and 
as  full  or  heavy  with  sweet  refreshment  as  honey. 

Lines  233-309.  Read  through  this  conversation  between 
Brutus  and  Portia  and  then  answer  the  following  questions 
about  it:  Why  does  Portia  think  something  unusual  is 
worrying  Brutus  ?  What  does  this  indicate  regarding  Bru- 
tus's attitude  toward  the  conspiracy  ?  What  does  this  speech 
show  as  to  the  Roman  conception  of  the  true  relationship 
between  husband  and  wife  ? 

Line  266.  Rheumy.  Rheum  is  a  watery  discharge  from 
the  mucous  membrane  as  when  the  eyes  and  nose  run  from 
a  cold.  Portia  suggests  that  Brutus  might  catch  cold  by 
walking  at  night. 

Line  300.  Portia  had  gashed  her  own  thigh  in  order  to 
show  that  she  could  bear  pain  and  suffering. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  C^SAR  105 

Lines  310-334.  What  power  of  Brutus  does  this  incident 
with  Ligarius  show  ? 

Line  315.  It  was  an  old  custom  for  those  who  were  sick 
to  wear  a  kerchief  on  their  heads. 

ACT  II,  SCENE  II.  Line  5.  Here  priests  are  the  augurs 
referred  to  in  the  previous  scene.  (See  note  on  line  200 
above.)  , 

Line  10.  What  does  this  speech  of  Caesar  indicate  about 
his  character  ? 

Line  16.  The  watch  means  the  guards  who  were  on 
watch. 

Lines  32-33.  These  two  lines  should  be  committed  to 
memory  by  the  pupils. 

Line  41.  The  signs  observed  by  the  augurs  were  supposed 
to  be  sent  by  the  gods. 

Lines  58-107.  Ask  pupils  to  explain  in  their  own  words 
the  steps  by  which  Decius  changed  Caesar's  mind.  What 
argument  of  Decius  had  most  influence  on  Caesar? 

ACT  II,  SCENE  III.  Line  10.  A  suitor,  one  who  asks  a 
favor  of  a  great  man. 

Lines  11-12.  Artemidorus  laments  that  a  virtuous  per- 
son cannot  be  free  from  ambition. 

Line  14.  In  Greek  and  Roman  mythology  the  Fates 
(Clotho,  Lachesis,  and  Atropos)  were  three  women,  supposed 
to  preside  over  the  life  of  man  from  its  beginning  to  its 
end.  They  determined  what  his  life  should  be  and  when 
he  should  die. 

ACT  II,  SCENE  IV.  Read  this  scene  through  and  answer 
the  following  questions  :  Do  you  think  Portia  now  knows 
the  purpose  of  the  conspirators  ?  How  does  this  scene  still 
further  excite  our  interest  in  the  play  and  in  what  is  about 
to  happen  ? 

ACT  III.  Before  beginning  the  study  of  Act  in,  recapitu- 
late the  play  to  this  point  by  asking  these  questions :  How 
many  scenes  in  Act  I  ?  in  Act  n  ?  Give  the  substance  of 
each  scene.  How  does  each  scene  help  in  carrying  the  play 
forward  towards  its  climax  in  Act  in  ? 

ACT  III,  SCENE  I.  Ask  pupils  to  read  the  stage-direction 


106     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

and  to  tell  who  each  person  is.  They  should  be  able  to  do  this 
without  referring  to  the  dramatis  personce  at  the  beginning 
of  the  play. 

Line  22.  Why  does  Cassius  threaten  to  slay  himself  ? 

Line  35.  Read  through  this  speech  of  Caesar  and  tell 
whether  you  think  Caesar  here  shows  himself  to  be  ambi- 
tious of  great  power.  4 

Line  51.  Repealing  here  means  recalling.  Note  the 
shrewdness  with  which  the  conspirators  pretend  to  have  a 
case  to  appeal  to  Caesar. 

Line  74.  Olympus,  a  mountain  in  Greece  where  the  gods 
lived.  Caesar  likens  himself  to  a  god  and  suggests  that  it' 
is  impossible  to  change  a  god's  mind. 

Line  77.  Explain  why  Caesar  was  particularly  offended 
when  Brutus  struck  him.  What  is  meant  by  saying,  Tyranny 
is  dead  ? 

Line  94.  Abide  this  deed,  answer  for  it,  be  blamed  for  it. 

Line  98.  Fates.  Where  have  we  had  reference  to  the 
Fates  before  ? 

Lines  99-105.  Explain  how  the  conspirators  here  try  to 
ease  their  consciences. 

Line  112.  Ask  a  certain  pupil  to  tell  the  class  something 
of  the  French  Revolution  as  illustrating  a  similar  bloody 
scene  in  states  unborn  at  the 'time  of  Caesar. 

Line  115.  Pompey's  basis  means  the  base  of  Pompey's 
statue. 

Line  117.  Compare  lines  78,  81,  110  of  this  scene. 
How  could  the  death  of  Caesar  be  said  to  give  liberty  to  the 
country  ? 

Line  122.  In  what  scene  have  we  learned  of  Antony  be- 
fore ?  How  have  we  before  noted  his  friendship  to  Caesar  ? 

Line  148.  Read  through  this  speech  of  Antony's  and  tell 
what  Antony  really  means  by  asking  the  conspirators  to 
kill  him. 

Line  152.  Must  be  let  blood,  means  must  be  killed,  must 
be  bled. 

Line  159.  If  is  understood  here  —  If  I  live  a  thousand 
years. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  CAESAR  107 

Line  177.  If  Antony  will  join  with  the  other  conspira- 
tors, he  will  have  a  voice  in  determining  who  shall  rule  the 
state  now  that  Caesar  is  dead. 

Line  184.  Why  does  Antony  wish  to  shake  hands  with 
these  men  ? 

Line  191.  Your  good  opinion  of  me  is  now  doubtful. 

Line  195.  It  is  a  beautiful  thought  that  the  dead  in  their 
spirit  life  look  down  upon  earth  and  see  us. 

Lines  204-210.  A  beautiful  passage.  Pupils  should  care- 
fully observe  the  use  of  the  two  words,  hart  and  heart. 

Line  206.  Lethe,  in  Greek  mythology,  was  a  river  whose 
waters  when  drunk  would  cause  one  to  forget  the  past. 
Antony  means  that  the  conspirators  are  making  their  hands 
red  in  Caesar's  blood,  a  stream  which  carries  Caesar  to 
forgetfulness. 

Line  213.  Cold  modesty.  A  friend  ought  to  speak  more 
enthusiastically  ;  even  an  enemy  would  use  such  language  as 
has  just  been  spoken. 

Line  257.  The  tide  of  times,  the  course  of  time. 

Line  263.  Pupils  should  analyze  this  strong  passage 
showing  the  different  ways  in  which  Antony  expresses  the 
evil  results  which  he  thinks  are  to  come  upon  Rome  because 
of  the  assassination  of  Caesar. 

Line  271.  In  Greek  mythology,  Ate  was  the  goddess  of 
discord  and  revenge. 

Line  273.  The  dogs  of  war  are  fire,  famine,  and  the 
sword. 

Line  276.  Octavius  Caesar  was  a  nephew  of  Caesar,  and 
afterwards,  in  31  B.C.,  became  the  first  Roman  Emperor, 
with  the  name  Augustus. 

ACT  III,  SCENE  II.  This  scene  marks  the  high  point  of 
interest  in  the  play.  The  speeches  of  Brutus  and  Mark 
Antony  to  the  people  have  been  universally  admired.  They 
are  among  the  finest  passages  in  all  Shakespeare's  writings. 

1^710  19.  How  is  it  possible  for  Brutus  to  love  Caesar  and 
yet  kill  him  ? 

Line  22.  What  means  the  expression,  /  lov'd  Rome 
more? 


108     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  24.  How  could  Caesar's  death  make  them  all  free 
men? 

Line  26.  What  grammatical  irregularity  in  this  line  ? 

Line  48.  Go  back  over  this  speech  of  Brutus  and  show 
step  by  step  how  skillfully  he  led  the  citizens  to  feel  that  he 
had  done  the  state  a  service  in  killing  Caesar. 

Line  74.  In  what  attitude  of  mind  is  the  crowd  when 
Antony  begins  to  talk  to  them  ? 

Line  83.  Do  you  think  Antony  means  that  Brutus  is  an 
honorable  man,  or  is  this  sarcasm  ? 

Line  96.  Lupercal,  a  feast  day.  (See  Act  I,  Scene  i, 
line  69.) 

Line  108.  What  effect  on  the  people  did  this  pause  have  ? 

Line  109.  Why  did  the  people  change  so  soon  from  the 
feeling  which  they  had  when  Brutus  spoke  to  them  ? 

Line  129.  Point  out  the  steps  by  which  Antony  in  the 
rest  of  the  speech  excites  the  people  to  a  pitch  of  frenzy. 

Line  170.  This  speech  of  Antony's  cannot  be  surpassed 
in  all  literature  as  being  effective  and  suited  to  its  purpose. 
Picture  the  scene  —  the  dead  body  of  Caesar  covered  with 
his  cloak,  the  crowd  gathered  in  awe  about,  and  Antony  in 
tears,  hardly  able  to  control  himself  enough  to  speak. 

Line  181.  Why  should  special  emphasis  be  laid  on  the 
rent  made  by  Brutus  ?  What  had  Brutus  but  recently  said 
to  these  same  people  ? 

Line  210.  Why  does  Antony  say  he  does  not  wish  to  stir 
them  up? 

Line  217.  What  is  the  intended  effect  of  this  reference 
to  Brutus  ? 

Line  271.  Where  would  Brutus  and  Cassius  be  going  ? 

ACT  III,  SCENE  III.  What  does  this  scene  show  in  regard 
to  the  condition  of  the  mob? 

ACT  IV,  SCENE  I.  Before  beginning  to  read  this  act,  the 
pupil  should  recall  who  Antony,  Octavius,  and  Lepidus  are. 
After  Caesar's  death,  Antony,  Octavius,  and  Lepidus  formed 
what  is  known  as  a  triumvirate,  a  union  of  three  men,  to 
rule  the  country. 

Line  1.  Why  are  these  names  being  pricked  or  checked  ? 


SHAKESPEARE'S  JULIUS  CAESAR  109 

Line  9.  Were  these  men  willing  to  carry  out  Caesar's 
wishes  as  shown  in  his  will  ?  How  does  this  compare  with 
what  Antony  had  said  about  the  will  in  his  speech  ? 

Line  42.  Why  are  Brutus  and  Cassius  getting  an  army 
together  ?  Do  they  represent  the  cause  of  the  people  ? 

ACT  IV,  SCENE  II.  Find  Sardis  on  the  map.  The  pupils 
should  tell  who  the  persons  are  that  are  represented  in  this 
scene. 

Line  9.  What  things  does  Brutus  mean  ? 

Lines  18,  etc.  One  of  the  many  passages  in  the  play  in 
which  Shakespeare  drops  into  noble  language  and  expresses 
a  universal  truth  in  striking  words.  Let  pupils  give  this  in 
their  own  words. 

ACT  IV,  SCENE  III.  Line  19.  How  did  Caesar  bleed  for 
justice'  sake  ? 

Line  27.  Have  you  ever  heard  a  dog  bay  the  moon  ? 

Line  28.  Follow  closely  the  steps  of  this  quarrel.  Show 
how  each  angers  the  other  by  his  various  speeches. 

Line  102.  Plutus.  Pluto  or  Plutus  is  the  god  of  the 
lower  world. 

Line  136.   Time,  meter,  measure. 

Line  184.  Brutus  already  knows  of  Portia's  death,  for 
he  has  just  told  Cassius.  Why,  then,  does  he  pretend  not 
to  know  of  it  ? 

Lines  218-221.  Well-known  lines.  Pupils  should  com- 
mit them  to  memory. 

Line  268.  Mace,  a  club  or  staff. 

Line  275.  Why  is  it  appropriate  that  the  ghost  of 
Caesar  should  visit  Brutus  ? 

ACT  V,  SCENE  I.  What  is  the  cause  of  the  war  between 
Octavius  and  Antony  on  the  one  side  and  Brutus  and  Cassius 
on  the  other  ? 

Which  army  represents  the  cause  of  the  people  ?  Which 
represents  the  cause  of  Caesar  ? 

Line  24.  How  may  Octavius  be  called  Caesar  ?  (See 
note  on  Act  in,  Scene  i,  line  276.) 

Line  34.  Hybla,  a  mountain  in  Sicily,  famous  for  its 
honey. 


110     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  77.  Epicurus,  a  Greek  philosopher  whose  teach- 
ings denied  the  existence  of  anything  supernatural. 

Line  85.  What  different  significance  does  the  presence 
of  ravens  and  crows  have  from  that  of  eagles  ? 

Line  102.  Cato  was  a  prominent  Roman  official  and 
general  who  had  committed  suicide  a  short  time  before  this. 
In  philosophy,  he  was  one  of  the  Stoics,  who  believed  that 
suicide  was  justifiable. 

ACT  V,  SCENE  II.  Line  1.  Bills,  orders  to  his  colonels 
and  captains. 

ACT  V,  SCENE  III.  Line  45.  Why  does  Cassius  commit 
suicide  ? 

Line  63.  Why  does  Titinius  feel  that  Cassius's  death 
means  so  much  to  Rome  ? 

Line  77.  Were  Brutus  and  Cassius  friends  at  this"  time  ? 

Line  90.  Why  does  Titinius  kill  himself  ? 

Line  94.  Why  does  Brutus  address  the  spirit  of  Caesar  ? 

Line  97.  In  what  sense  could  Titinius  crown  Cassius  ? 

Line  104.  Thasos  is  an  island  near  Philippi  in  the 
-5Sgean  Sea. 

ACT  V,  SCENE  V.  Line  12.  Why  does  Brutus  wish  to 
die? 

Line  51.  So  many  deaths  make  this  play  a  real  tragedy. 

Line  68.  Recall  Antony's  great  speech,  Act  in,  Scene  ii. 
Antony's  words  are  always  noble. 

Lines  73-75.  The  pupils  should  commit  to  memory  these 
fine  lines  as  a  fitting  close  to  the  play. 

SUBJECTS   FOR   WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

1.  The  Cause  of  the  Conspiracy  against  Caesar. 

2.  Why  Cassius  was  jealous  of  Caesar. 

3.  Was  Caesar  ambitious  ? 

4.  Caesar's  Courage. 

5.  The  Assassination  of  Caesar. 

6.  The  Speech  of  Brutus  to  the  People. 

7.  Antony's  Speech. 

S.  The  War  after  Caesar's  Death. 


TENNYSON'S   ENOCH  ARDEN1 

BEFORE  beginning  the  study  of  Enoch  Arden,  pupils 
need  to  know  that  the  scene  is  laid  in  England  and  that  its 
author,  Tennyson,  was  one  of  the  greatest  poets  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  His  greatness  lies  in  the  depth  and 
nobility  of  his  thought  and  in  the  picturesque  beauty  of  the 
language  which  he  employs.  From  day  to  day  the  teacher 
should  point  out  the  charm  of  the  words  used, — their  ap- 
propriateness and  expressiveness, — and  as  the  plot  of  the 
story  develops,  the  noble  lesson  which  it  teaches  should  be 
frequently  emphasized  in  the  class.  Enoch  Arden  is  pecu- 
liarly well  adapted  to  the  eighth  grade,  and  its  study  should 
result  in  arousing  a  love  for  poetry  and  in  a  strong  impulse 
toward  an  unselfish  life  among  the  growing  boys  and  girls 
who  read  it. 

This  poem  is  easily  divided  into  chapters.  Have  the  pu- 
pils make  the  divisions  and  name  the  chapters,  and  let  the 
class  choose  the  best  divisions  and  names.  Each  chapter  will 
be  made  up  of  paragraphs,  each  paragraph  complete  in  it- 
self. For  instance,  the  first  paragraph  is  the  stage-setting, 
the  second,  the  dramatis  personce,  etc.  Let  the  pupils 
name  the  paragraphs  as  the  critical  study  of  the  poem  pro- 
ceeds. 

QUESTIONS  AND   SUGGESTIONS 

Explain  the  form  of  the  poem.  It  is  written  in  penta- 
meter, that  is,  with  five  divisions  or  measures  in  each  line. 
Each  of  these  measures,  called  a  foot,  is  composed  of  two 
syllables,  the  first  short  or  unaccented,  the  second,  long  or 
accented.  Such  a  poetic  foot  is  called  an  iambus.  Many 
lines  will  be  found  imperfect,  but  few  of  them  awkward. 

1  The  references  are  to  the  Riverside  Literature  Series,  No. 
73,  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


112     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

For  example,  the  first  line  has  in  the  third  foot  not  an  iam- 
bus but  a  trochee,  —  that  is,  a  foot  made  up  of  an  accented 
syllable  followed  by  an  unaccented,  —  but  it  does  not  make 
the  line  hard  to  read.  Chasm  is  one  syllable.  The  measure 
is  marked  thus  :  — 

Long  Knes|  of  cliff  |  breaking)  have  le"ftl  a  chasm 
And  in |  the  chasm)  are  foam)  and  y 61) low  sand 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  devote  part  of  a  lesson  occasionally, 
particularly  in  the  first  half  of  the  poem,  to  marking  the 
meter  and  scanning  the  lines,  for  in  reading  poetry  aloud  it 
is  quite  as  important  to  reproduce  the  swing  and  measure 
of  the  lines  as  it  is  to  speak  the  words  correctly  and  with 
feeling.  Often  two  syllables  count  as  one,  as  in  line  56,  fa- 
vora-\Ay ;  line  83,  mu-tual  j  line  131,  in  the  ;  line  135,  in 
her.  Let  the  children  mark  and  read  the  irregular  lines  to 
make  them  sound  uniform  with  the  regular  ones. 

Lines  1-9.  Note  that  the  scene  unrolls  as  before  one 
who  is  approaching  on  board  a  ship  ;  also  note  how  skillfully 
the  coloring  of  the  picture  is  introduced  in  the  description. 

Line  4.  What  is  the  effect  of  the  adjective  mouldered, 
when  applied  to  the  church  ? 

Line  6.  How  would  you  say  high  in  heaven  behind  it  in 
prose  or  common  conversation  ?  What  poetical  touch  is 
there  in  the  line?  What  is  a  down?  In  what  country  is 
this  word  most  used  ? 

Line  8.  Haunted,  a  word  well  in  accord  with  the  some- 
what somber  picture,  as  if  the  nutters  were  ghosts  drawn  to 
the  wood  by  a  supernatural  influence.  Bring  out  the  pupils' 
impressions  of  the  scene  —  Is  the  town  pretty  ?  —  Is  it 
new  ?  —  Which  is  made  more  attractive  in  the  picture,  the 
town  itself  or  the  sea,  the  hills,  and  the  woods  ?  How  does 
this  paragraph  illustrate  Tennyson's  love  of  Nature  and 
skill  in  description  ? 

Line  15.  How  does  the  adjective  winter  help  to  make 
Enoch's  condition  appear  more  desolate  ? 

Lines  16-19.  Give  all  the  meanings  of  the  word  lumber. 
What  is  a  lumber-room  ?  Is  this  use  of  the  word  American  ? 


TENNYSON'S  ENOCH  ARDEN  113 

Define  waste,  lumber,  cordage,  swarthy,  fluke.  There  is 
nothing  better  than  a  study  like  this  to  teach  brief  and  clear 
definition. 

Line  21.  In  what  senses  may  j%  be  a  transitive  verb  ? 

Line  22.  What  is  the  effect  of  the  repetition  of  daily  ? 
Watch  for  other  examples  of  this  kind  of  repetition. 

Lines  23-36.  Later  in  the  study  it  will  be  interesting  to 
return  to  this  paragraph  and  see  how  clearly  it  defines  the 
characters  of  the  three. 

Lines  37,  38.  Explain  the  poetic  uses  of  the  words  in 
these  lines. 

Line  42.  Why  should  Annie  be  kinder  to  Philip  than  to 
Enoch  ? 

Line  50.  Why  is  breathe  more  effective  than  live  would 
be? 

Line  51.  Why  is  leagues  a  more  appropriate  word  than 
miles  f 

Line  53.  Put  in  simpler  language,  Thrice  had  pluck*  d 
a  life,  etc. 

Line  55.  Show  how  the  sound  of  this  line  resembles  the 
sound  of  the  storm  that  it  implies. 

Line  57.  Why  is  May  an  appropriate  month  to  name 
here  ?  Why  is  May  used  instead  of  year  ? 

Line  60.  Does  clambered  add  anything  to  the  meaning 
of  climbs,  used  in  line  5  ? 

Line  63.  What  do  great  and  small  refer  to  ? 

Lines  67-68.  Have  the  pupils  express  these  two  lines  in 
their  own  language.  What  word  is  used  here  in  a  poetic 
sense  ? 

Line  71.  Give  a  synonym  for  all. 

Line  73.  Why  did  Philip  see  his  doom  here  ? 

Line  75.  What  is  the  comparison  in  the  words  like  a 
wounded  life  ? 

Line  77.  What  is  the  purpose  in  mentioning  that  the 
rest  were  merry-making  while  Philip  had  his  dark  hour  ? 

Line  78.  What  was  the  cause  of  Philip's  dark  hour  ? 

Lines  81-82.  What  is  the  effect  of  the  repetition  in  these 
lines  ? 


114     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

Line  86.  What  previous  line  closely  resembles  this  ? 

Line  90.  How  could  the  boy  be  thus  described  ? 

Line  95.  How  is  it  possible  to  use  the  word  thousand 
here  ? 

Line  100.  What  does  this  line  show  about  Enoch's  occu- 
pation ? 

When  the  poem  thus  far  has  been  studied,  scanned,  and 
read  aloud,  have  the  children  write  the  story  in  their  own 
words.  What  they  write  will  indicate  whether  they  are 
understanding,  appreciating,  and  enjoying  it,  and  also  the 
special  help  needed  by  each  one. 

Lines  101-127.  Have  the  pupils  tell  the  different  steps  of 
misfortune  which  came  to  Enoch. 

Line  111.   Theirs  —  whose  ? 

Line  116.  Explain  the  meaning  of  this  common  expres- 
sion, hand  to  mouth. 

Line  118.  This  line  foreshadows  the  event  and  has  a 
breath  of  superstition  in  it,  as  if  God  were  to  take  him  too 
literally  at  his  word. 

Line  129.  How  had  Enoch's  trouble  been  relieved  ? 

Line  130.  Tell  the  myth  of  Phoebus,  the  sun-god,  who 
was  supposed  to  ride  through  the  sky  in  a  chariot. 

Lines  131-132.  What  part  of  speech  is  isles  ?  What  is 
its  object  ?  What  is  the  offing  ?  Have  the  children  para- 
phrase this  sentence.  What  is  the  effect  of  the  incomplete 
clauses  ? 

Lines  133-147.  What  strong  points  in  Enoch's  character 
are  brought  out  in  these  lines  ? 

Line  158.  Why  did  Annie  oppose  Enoch  ? 

Lines  159,  etc.  What  two  ways  are  suggested  here  of  se- 
curing one's  wishes  ?  Show  the  good  points  in  both  Enoch's 
and  Annie's  characters  as  brought  out  in  these  lines. 

Line  168.  What  is  meant  by  the  old  sea-friend  f 

Line  175.  How  could  Annie  think  of  this  work  as  build- 
ing her  death-scaffold  ?  Raising  means  being  raised. 

Lines  182-237.  This  description  of  Enoch's  parting  from 
Annie  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parts  of  the  poem.  Lead 
pupils  to  see  how  natural  it  is  and  to  point  out  the  acts  of 


TENNYSON'S  ENOCH  ARDEN  115 

Enoch  which  make  us  admire  him.  Also  ask  pupils  to  ex- 
plain the  features  of  the  parting  which  cause  sympathy  with 
Annie. 

Lines  186-187.  Try  to  have  pupils  appreciate  what 
prayer  is,  from  these  beautiful  lines.  This  is  one  of  the 
simplest  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  comprehen- 
sive explanations  of  prayer  which  can  be  given. 

Line  201.  How  does  this  line  indicate  its  poetical  form  ? 

Line  205.  Explain  why  heard  is  repeated  three  times. 
Why  did  Annie  not  believe  what  Enoch  said  ? 

Line  217.  What  force  is  there  in  using  the  word  last 
twice  here  ? 

Line  222.  See  Hebrews  vi,  19  ;  Psalm  cxxxix,  9  ;  Psalm 
xcv,  5.  Have  the  children  look  up  these  references  and 
read  the  context  in  the  class. 

Throughout  lines  157—237,  Annie's  prescience  of  evil 
awakens  in  the  reader's  mind  suspicion  of  approaching 
tragedy,  and  by  thus  foreshadowing  it,  makes  it  more  im- 
pressive like  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy. 

Line  242.  Why  do  you  think  Annie  could  not  see 
Enoch  ? 

Line  247.  What  in  this  line  shows  you  the  courage  of 
Annie  now  that  Enoch  was  gone  ? 

Line  249.  This  line  is  very  difficult  to  read,  because  there 
are  two  imperfect  feet  in  succession,  cdmpen| siting.  It  is 
practically  necessary  to  accent  -pen. 

Line  257.  What  news  did  Annie  expect  ? 

Line  282.  Why  should  Annie  weep  at  Philip's  entrance  ? 

Lines  284,  290,  etc.  What  traits  of  character  does 
Philip  show  here  ? 

Lines  298-299.  Where  have  these  lines  occurred  before  ? 

Line  301.  What  morning  is  meant  ?  For  a  similar  idea 
see  line  37. 

Line  311.  In  England  up  to  very  recent  times  schooling 
has  not  been  free,  and  only  people  of  some  means  could 
send  their  children  to  school. 

Line  327.  Why  do  you  think  Philip  was  lifted  up  in 
spirit  ?  How  does  this  picture  of  Annie's  sufferin  g  appeal 


116     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

to  the  reader?  Later  on,  find  out  whether  the  pupils  think 
it  helps  to  justify  her  in  marrying  Philip  when  she  does  not 
know  that  Enoch  is  dead  ? 

Line  332.  What  did  Philip  fear  that  people  would  say 
about  him  ?    Why  is  lazy  a  good  word  to  use  in  describing 


Lines  341-358.  Have  the  pupils  tell  what  they  like 
about  this  passage.  Pick  out  the  lines  which  give  the  most 
pleasing  pictures  of  Philip's  kindness  to  the  children. 

Lines  363-364.  Describe  in  your  own  words  the  picture 
of  Philip  which  you  see  here. 

Line  378.  Reluctant.  This  word  makes  the  boughs  seem 
living  beings  consciously  resisting  being  plundered. 

Line  383.   Where  has  this  expression  occurred  before  ? 

Line  389.  Why  does  Philip  seem  angry  ? 

Line  394.  Whose  voices  ?  Why  do  they  make  her  feel 
solitary  ? 

Line  418.  How  long  has  Philip  loved  Annie  ? 

Line  422.  What  does  Annie  mean  by  something  happier 
than  herself  ?  In  what  sense  is  happier  used  here  ? 

Line  425.  How  does  this  speech  of  Philip  show  that  he 
was  sincere  in  his  love  ? 

Line  427.  Why  do  you  think  Annie  seemed  to  be 
scared  ? 

Line  428.  Does  Annie  think  Enoch  really  will  come  ? 

Line  430.  In  what  way  would  she  be  wiser  in  a  year  ? 

Line  435.  Do  you  think  Annie  wished  to  marry  Philip  ? 
Why  did  she  want  to  wait  a  year  ?  What  does  this  show 
about  her  character  ? 

Line  438.  Show  the  beauty  in  this  way  of  speaking  of  the 
sun. 

Lin&  446.  What  does  Philip  mean  by  Annie's  hour  of 
weakness  f 

Lines  447-448.  What  do  these  lines  show  about  the 
characters  of  both  Philip  and  Annie  ? 

Line  457.  What  force  do  these  broken  lines  give  to  this 
incident  ? 

Line  461.    What  is  the  lifelong  hunger? 


TENNYSON'S  ENOCH  ARDEN  117 

Line  462.  Why  did  his  voice  shake  ? 

Line  464.  Why  did  Annie  pity  Philip  ? 

Line  471.  Why  were  the  gossips  so  impatient? 

Line  479.  What  was  this  wish  ? 

Line  485.  Why  did  Philip  feel  that  he  was  being  found 
fault  with  ? 

Line  488.  Show  the  poetical  beauty  of  thus  speaking  of 
the  darkness. 

Line  500.  See  Malachi  xiv,  2. 

Line  502.  See  John  xii,  13. 

Line  503.  Why  did  Annie  speak  wildly  ? 

Line  507.  Where  has  this  line  occurred  before  ? 

Line  509.  What  is  the  force  of  repeating  merrily  in  these 
three  lines  ? 

Line  525.  The  Bay  of  Biscay,  where  the  winds  come 
from  the  west  and  make  the  waves  move  eastward. 

Line  528.  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  —  where  is  it  ?  Trace 
this  voyage  on  the  map. 

Line  531.  What  is  meant  by  the  breath  of  heaven  ? 

Line  539.  What  is  the  figurehead  of  a  boat  ? 

Line  543.  Show  what  a  poetical  expression  is  found  here 
for  a  cloudy  night. 

Lines  552,  553.  The  language  here  is  highly  poetical. 
Put  the  meaning  of  these  lines  in  simple  form. 

Line  557.  What  was  Eden  ?  See  Genesis,  chapters  II 
and  in.  Why  is  this  island  spoken  of  as  an  Eden  ? 

Line  565.  Hollowing  out  the  log  for  a  canoe  by  burning. 

*Line  567.  Why  did  Enoch  think  he  was  bidden  to 
wait? 

Lines  568—617.  This  passage  serves  for  a  study  of  Tenny- 
son's love  and  knowledge  of  Nature,  his  ability  to  portray 
it,  his  wonderful  power  of  stirring  the  soul  and  wringing 
the  heart  with  words  that  are  strong  and  simple  and  mar- 
velously  chosen.  Of  all  the  poem  it  is  probably  the  best 
written  and  the  most  touching.  Lines  587-595  especially 
could  hardly  be  surpassed.  The  whole  passage  will  repay 
the  closest  study  of  the  choice  of  words,  the  use  of  contrast, 
the  sound  of  the  lines,  —  for  example,  580-581,  —  the 


118     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

ability  to  convey  feeling,  as  Enoch's  homesickness  in  lines 
601-608. 

Lines  568-575.  What  sort  of  picture  do  you  get  here  of 
the  island? 

Line  582.  What  do  you  learn  here  of  the  size  of  the 
trees  ? 

Line  585.  Seaward-gazing,  a  remarkable  instance  of 
Tennyson's  use  of  personification,  as  if  the  very  cavern  in 
which  Enoch  slept  were  watching  the  sea  for  a  sail. 

Line  595.  Show  the  features  of  this  description  which 
make  it  most  forceful  and  vivid.  Can  you  realize  from 
this  description  the  feelings  of  a  man  alone  on  a  desert 
island  ? 

Line  597.  Golden  lizard.  The  meaning  is  that  Enoch 
became  so  inactive  from  long-continued  watching  that  the 
lizard,  itself  the  most  sluggish  of  animals,  regarded  him  as 
dead  matter  and  did  not  hesitate  to  crawl  upon  him. 

Line  601.  Where  is  this  darker  isle  ?  Why  is  it  darker  ? 
What  is  meant  by  the  line  ?  On  which  side  of  the  equator 
is  Enoch  ? 

Line  602.  Find  where  in  the  poem  these  objects  have 
before  been  described. 

Line  611.  What  bells  does  the  poet  wish  us  to  think  of 
here  ?  Enoch  in  a  dream  seems  to  hear  the  bells  at  home. 

Line  615.  A  beautiful  and  forceful  way  of  speaking  of 
God.  (Compare  line  187,  where  prayer  is  spoken  of  in  simi' 
lar  forceful  lines.) 

Line  618.  Why  is  early  used  here  ?  Point  out  the  poeti- 
cal touch  in  the  expression,  early-silvering  head.  How 
would  this  idea  be  expressed  in  prose  ? 

Line  641.  Name  the  effects  of  Enoch's  long  solitary  life 
as  shown  in  lines  632-644. 

Line  642.  The  sentence  beginning  whom  is  a  compli- 
cated one  and  its  understanding  will  be  made  clearer  by  a 
careful  grammatical  analysis  of  it. 

Line  648.  Try  to  imagine  yourself  in  Enoch's  place  on 
this  homeward  voyage  and  follow  his  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings. 


TENNYSON'S  ENOCH  ARDEN  119 

Line  655.  What  is  the  significance  of  the  expression,  like 
a  lover  ? 

Line  656.  Explain  the  force  of  each  word  in  this  beauti- 
ful line,  dewy,  meadowy,  and  morning-breath. 

Line  659.  What  did  the  sailors  do  for  Enoch  as  told  in 
this  line  ? 

Line  664.  Why  the  broken  line  and  incomplete  sentence? 

Lines  665-677.  Why  is  this  description  of  the  weather 
especially  appropriate  ?  How  do  you  feel  as  you  read  this 
description  ? 

Line  672.  Nigh-naked  is  a  good  example  of  a  word  made 
by  the  poet.  Tennyson  is  especially  skillful  in  thus  making 
compound  words.  Find  ten  other  words  in  the  poem  made 
in  a  similar  way. 

Line  679.  What  was  Enoch  thinking  of  according  to  this 
line  ? 

Line  680.  Why  were  his  eyes  upon  the  stones  ? 

Line  684.  Bill  of  sale,  a  notice  on  his  old  home  offering 
it  for  sale. 

Lines  696-766.  We  come  in  these  lines  to  the  climax  of 
the  poem.  He  must  be  a  cold  person,  indeed,  who  is  not 
touched  and  deeply  moved  by  this  picture.  Eighth  grade 
pupils,  boys  and  girls  alike,  should  be  impressed  with  this 
passage,  and  if  they  do  not  respond  to  it  the  teacher  should 
try  more  diligently  with  the  next  class  to  bring  out  the  feeling. 

Line  699.  What  is  implied  as  the  object  of  the  verb 
knowing  ? 

Line  706.  Did  Enoch  show  no  feeling  on  account  of 
indifference,  or  purposely? 

Line  712.  What  is  the  force  of  repeating  the  word  lost 
three  times  ? 

Line  714.  What  is  the  implied  conclusion  to  this  sen- 
tence ?  Have  different  pupils  suggest  endings  to  the  sentence. 

Lines  717-718.  How  does  the  use  of  the  words  dull  and 
duller  here  fit  in  with  Enoch's  feelings  ?  What  other  in- 
stances in  the  poem  can  you  find  of  passages  where  the 
weather  and  Nature  are  made  to  harmonize  with  human 
feelings  ? 


120     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE   GRADES 

Line  726.  Birds  frequently  dash  themselves  to  death  at 
night  against  lighthouse  windows.  Explain  how  this  may  be 
compared  to  Enoch's  actions  here. 

Line  736.  Why  would  it  have  been  better  to  shun  this  sight? 

Line  737.  Why  does  the  poet  suggest  that  griefs  like 
Enoch's  cannot  be  referred  to  as  worse  or  better  ? 

Lines  738-766.  Try  to  have  the  pupils  as  far  as  possible 
put  themselves  in  Enoch's  place.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  descriptions  of  a  home  fireside  ever  written. 

Lines  762-766.  What  noble  trait  of  character  in  Enoch 
is  shown  in  these  lines  ? 

Line  766.  How  would  his  cry  have  spoiled  the  happiness 
of  the  hearth? 

Lines  767-773.  Why  is  the  expression  used,  like  a  thief  t 
Point  out  the  acts  in  the  next  few  lines  which  show  how 
quietly  Enoch  left  the  yard. 

Line  111.  Who  are  referred  to  by  the  word  they  ?  What 
is  the  meaning  of  the  word  thence  ?  From  where  had  Enoch 
been  taken  ? 

Lines  777-787.  Show  how  in  these  lines  Enoch  displays 
the  highest  type  of  self-denial  possible  in  this  world.  How 
was  Enoch  willing  to  suffer  to  keep  Annie  from  suffering  ? 

Lines  795-911.  The  rest  of  this  poem  can  hardly  be 
equaled  in  any  literature  for  its  strength  and  pathos.  Our 
pity  and  sympathy  are  aroused  to  the  utmost.  It  is  hard  to 
read  the  lines  without  tears.  Everyone  must  be  a  better 
person  for  reading  them. 

Line  795.  What  is  the  meaning  of  all  here  ?  How  could 
his  resolve  in  any  sense  keep  Enoch  from  being  unhappy  ? 

Line  797.  Find  previous  instances  of  Enoch's  deeply  re- 
ligious nature. 

Line  805.  How  do  you  think  Enoch  must  have  felt  to 
realize  that  his  death  would  bring  comfort  to  Annie  ? 

Line  816.  What  is  meant  by  saying  there  was  no  life  in 
his  work  without  hope  ?  Everyone  must  have  something 
ahead  of  him  to  live  for,  to  work  toward,  in  order  to  make 
his  life  effective.  "  Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human 
breast."  —  Pope. 


TENNYSON'S  ENOCH  ARDEN  121 

Lines  824-828.  Have  pupils  explain  this  beautiful  com- 
parison. How  can  death  be  spoken  of  as  a  hope,  or  as  some- 
thing to  be  desired  ? 

Line  828.  What  is  implied  as  to  the  future  in  the  use  of 
the  word  dawning  ? 

Line  829.  Was  Enoch  thinking  of  himself  or  of  Annie 
in  looking  upon  death  with  hope  ? 

Line  834.  What  book  is  referred  to  ? 

Lines  844,  846.  Compare  these  two  lines  and  note  the 
striking  contrast  in  them. 

Line  849.  Explain  in  your  own  words  how  Miriam  felt. 

Line  861.  Why  did  Miriam  weep  ? 

Line  868.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  Enoch  hung  on 
her  words  ?  Did  he  think  for  an  instant  that  he  would  let 
Miriam  bring  his  children  ? 

Lines  875-883.  How  do  these  lines  show  Enoch's  faith- 
ful love  unto  the  end  ? 

Line  887.  Show  his  unselfishness  again  in  this  line. 

Line  890.  Find  where  in  the  poem  this  incident  was 
related. 

Line  907.  Where  does  Enoch  imagine  himself  to  be  ? 

Lines  906-909.  These  lines  are  the  dramatic  conclusion 
of  the  poem.  The  remaining  two  lines  do  not  mar  it,  but 
come  with  a  suggestion  of  calm  after  storm,  and  imply  that 
after  Enoch's  death  the  only  restitution  possible  was  made 
him  by  those  for  whom  his  life  was  a  sacrifice. 

After  a  critical  reading  of  the  poem,  let  the  pupils  select 
the  lines  of  the  poem  by  which  each  successive  misfor- 
tune is  expressed  and  explain  what  makes  them  forceful. 
For  example,  in  lines  100—118,  the  merest  accident  be- 
comes a  tragedy.  The  little  baby  born  while  the  father  lies 
disabled  in  another  town  is  a  sickly  one.  Competition 
threatens  his  trade  and  physical  weakness  makes  him  a  prey 
to  fear.  Bring  out  the  little  touches  —  the  evil  omen  that 
Annie  could  not  see  Enoch  as  he  sailed  away  ;  the  trouble  in 
his  breast  that  he  must  leave  Annie  despondent,  unwilling, 
and  with  uncertain  means  of  support ;  the  fact  that  not  until 
Enoch  is  fairly  in  reach  of  the  good  fortune  he  seeks  does 


122     ENGLISH  CLASSICS  IN  THE  GRADES 

the  shipwreck  ruin  him  ;  his  weakness  of  body  and  mind 
and  his  penniless  condition  upon  returning  ;  the  chilling 
weather ;  the  bill  of  sale  on  the  desolate  house  which  had 
been  the  neat  and  nestlike  home  his  first  savings  had  built 
for  Annie  ;  the  heartbreaking  picture  of  the  contrast  between 
his  family's  condition  and  his  own  ;  the  fact  that  nothing  in 
the  world  is  left  him  but  the  tiny  curl  and  the  memory  of 
the  little  dead  baby.  These  beautiful  touches  make  up  the 
artistic  effect  of  the  poem  as  a  whole. 

SUBJECTS    FOR  WRITTEN   EXERCISES 

1.  Gather  together  and  paraphrase  the  lines  that  express 

Enoch's  religious  nature,  and  the  purpose  it  served  in 
his  life. 

2.  "Write  a  character  sketch  of  Annie  that  shall  answer  the 

following  questions  :  — 

Was  Annie  a  strong  character  ? 
Did  she  have  the  strength  of  her  convictions  ? 
Did  trouble  make  her  more  or  less  courageous  ? 
Was  she  justified  in  marrying  Philip,  not  knowing 

whether  Enoch  was  living  or  dead  ? 
Contrast  Enoch's  character  with  Annie's  and  with 

Philip's. 

3.  Collect  the  lines  relating  to  Miriam  Lane,  and  para- 

phrase them  into  a  character  sketch. 

4.  What  seems  to  you  the  most  beautiful  passage  in  the 

poem  ?  What  the  most  touching  ?  Can  you  give  reasons 
for  your  opinions  ? 

5.  Give  an  example  of  a  line  or  lines  showing  the  effect  of 

repetition  ;  of  contrast ;  of  figurative  expression  ;  of  the 
use  of  poetical  or  obsolete  words. 

6.  Give  examples  of  words  found  in  this  poem  which  are 

good  English  usage,  but  not  American. 

7.  What  purpose  can  you  see  in  the  poem  ?  In  connection 

with  this  last  question  the  children  can  be  taught  that 
the  creation  of  a  work  of  art  is  in  itself  a  purpose  and 
work  worth  while. 


APPENDIX 

A   BEADING   COURSE    FOB   THE    GRADES 
GRADE  I 

The  Riverside  Primer 30 

The  Riverside  First  Reader 35 

The  Beginner's  Primer „     .     .     .30 

Hazard's  Three  Years  with  the  Poets 50 

Holbrook's  Hiawatha  Primer.   B.  L.  S.  No.  P 40 

Swem  and  Sherwood's  Primer  of  Nursery  Rhymes 30 

GRADE  H 

The  Riverside  Second  Reader 40 

The  Beginner's  Reader 30 

Hazard's  Three  Years  with  the  Poets 50 

Holbrook's  Hiawatha  Primer.  B.  L.  S.  No.  P 40 

Holbrook's  Book  of  Nature  Myths.  E.  L.  S.  No.  V 45 

Scudder's  Book  of  Fables  and  Folk  Stories.  New  Illustrated 

Edition 45 

Scudder's  Fables  and  Folk  Stories  (without  illustrations).  12.  L. 

S.Nos.  47-48 40 

Scudder's  Verse  and  Prose  for  Beginners.  B.  L.  S.  No.  59  .  .  .25 
Stevenson's  Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form,  Book  I  .  .  .30 

GRADE  HI 

The  Riverside  Third  Reader .50 

Andersen's  Selected  Stories.  B.  L.  S.  Nos.  49-50 40 

Grimms'  German  Household  Tales.  B.  L,  S.  Nos.  107-108 .  .  .40 

Hazard's  Three  Years  with  the  Poets  .  . 50 

Holbrook's  Book  of  Nature  Myths.  B.  L.  S.  No.  V 45 

Scudder's  Book  of  Legends.  B.  L.  S.  No.  144 25 

Scudder's  Book  of  Fables  and  Folk  Stories.  New  Illustrated 

Edition 45 

Scudder's  Fables  and  Folk  Stories  (without  illustrations).  B.  L. 

S.  Nos.  47-4f 40 

Stevenson's  Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form,  Book  II  .  .  .35 

GRADE  IV 

The  Riverside  Fourth  Reader 55 

Arabian  Nights.     Selected  Stories.     B.  L.  S.  Nos.  117-118  .     .     .40 

Brown's  In  the  Days  of  Giants.     B.  L.  S.  No.  W 50 

Harris's  Little  Mr.  Thimblefinger  Stories.     B.  L.  S.  No.  201     .     .40 

Holbrook's  Northland  Heroes.     B.  L.  S.  No.  J 35 

Longfellow's  Song  of  Hiawatha.     B.  L.  S.  Not.  13-14      ...     .40 


124  APPENDIX 

Miller's  True  Bird  Stories,  School  Edition 60 

Old  Testament  Stories  in  Scripture  Language      E.  L.  S.  No. 

46 15 

Peabody's  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories.     E.  L.  S.  No.  114 25 

Stevenson's  Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form,  Book  III  .     .     .40 

GRADE  V 

Brown's  Saints  and  Friendly  Beasts,  School  Edition 50 

Brown's  In  the  Days  of  Giants.  E.  L.  S.  No.  W 50 

Bryant's  Ulysses  Among  the  Phaaciaus.  E.  L.  S.  No.  43  .  .  .25 

Defoe's  Robinson  Crusoe.  E.  L.  S.  No.  87 60 

Ewing's  Jackanapes ;  and  The  Brownies.  E.  L.  S.  No.  151  .  .25 

Hawthorne's  Wonder-Book.  E.  L.  S.  Nos.  17-18 40 

Longfellow's  Children's  Hour,  Paul  Revere's  Ride,  etc.  E.  L. 

S.  Nos.  11,63 40 

Longfellow  Leaflets  (Selections  in  Prose  and  Poetry).  E.  L.  S. 

No.  F.  ..." 40 

Miller's  First  Book  of  Birds,  School  Edition 60 

Peabody's  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories.  E.  L.  S.  No.  114 25 

Ruskin's  King  of  the  Golden  River  (with  wonder  stories  by  other 

authors).  E.  L.  S.  No.  126 25 

Selections  from  the  Riverside  Literature  Series  for  Fifth  Grade 

Reading 40 

Stevenson's  Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form,  Book  IV  .  .  .50 

Tappan's  American  Hero  Stories  . 55 

Tappan's  Old  Ballads  in  Prose,  School  Edition 40 

Warner's  Being  a  Boy.  JR.  L.  S.  No.  209 40 

Whittier's  Child  Life  in  Prose  and  Poetry  (Selected).  E.  L.  S. 

Nos.  70-71 '.40 

GRADE  VI 

A  Dickens  Reader.  E.  L.  S.  No.  205 40 

Hawthorne's  Grandfather's  Chair.  E.  L.  S.  Nos.  7-8-9  ...  .50 
Hawthorne's  Tales  of  the  White  Hills,  etc.  E.  L.  S.  Nos.  40,  69  .40 

Hawthorne's  Tanglewood  Tales.  E.  L.  S.  Nos.  22-23 40 

Longfellow's  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish.  E.  L.  S.  No.  2  .  .  .25 
Ouida's  A  Dog  of  Flanders ;  The  Niirnberg  Stove.  E.  L.  S. 

No.  150 25 

Plutarch's  Alexander  the  Great.  E.  L.  S.  No.  143 15 

Selections  from  the  Riverside  Literature  Series  for  Sixth  Grade 

Reading 40 

Tappan's  Story  of  the  Roman  People 65 

Tappan's  An  Elementary  History  of  Our  Country 65 

Tappan's  Story  of  the  Greek  People 65 

Whittier  Leaflets.  (Selections  in  Prose  and  Poetry.)  E.  L.  S. 

No.G 40 

Wiggin's  Polly  Oliver's  Problem.  E.  L.  S.  No.  210 40 


APPENDIX  125 

GRADE  VII 

Aldrich's  Story  of  a  Bad  Boy.  R.  L.  S.  No.  208 50 

American  Classics 75 

Burroughs's  Birds  and  Bees,  Sharp  Eyes,  etc.  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  28, 36  .40 
Burroughs's  Squirrels  and  Other  Fur-Bearers,  School  Edition  .  .60 
Dickens's  Christmas  Carol ;  The  Cricket  on  the  Hearth.  R.  L. 

S.  Nos.  57-58 40 

Fiske's  War  of  Independence.  jR.  L.  S.  No.  62 40 

Holmes's  Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunker  Hill  Battle,  etc.  R. 

L.  S.No.  6 25 

Hughes's  Tom  Brown's  School  Days.  R.  L.  S.  No.  85  .  .  .  .50 

King  Arthur  Stories  from  Malory.  R.  L.  S.  No.  179 40 

Lambs'  Tales  from  Shakespeare.  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  64,  65,  66  .  .  .50 

Longfellow's  Evangeline.  R.  L.  S.  No.  1 25 

Mabie's  Heroes  Every  Child  Should  Know.  School  Edition  .  .  .40 

Martineau's  Peasant  and  Prince.  R.  L.  S.  No.  152 40 

Miller's  Bird- Ways.  Riverside  School  Library 60 

Moores's  Christopher  Columbus.  R.  L.  S.  No.  214- 25 

Moores's  Abraham  Lincoln.  R.  L.  S.  No.  185 25 

Scott's  Lady  of  the  Lake.  Rolfe's  Students'  Series 53 

Scudder's  George  Washington.  R.  L.  S.  No.  75 40 

Selections  from  the  Riverside  Literature  Series  for  Seventh 

Grade  Reading 40 

Sharp's  Fall  of  the  Year 60 

Sharp's  Winter 60 

Sharp's  Spring 60 

Stevenson's  Children's  Classics  in  Dramatic  Form,  Book  V  .  .  .60 

Tappan's  Old  World  Hero  Stories 70 

Tappan's  European  Hero  Stories 65 

Tappan's  Story  of  the  Greek  People 65 

Torrey's  Everyday  Birds 1.00 

Warner's  A-Hunting  of  the  Deer,  etc.  R.  L,  S.  No.  37  .  .  .  .  .25 
Whittier's  Snow-Bound,  Mabel  Martin,  etc.  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  4,  5  .40 

Wiggin's  Finding  a  Home.  R.  L.  S.  No.  174 25 

Wiggin's  The  Flag-Raising.  .R.  L  S.  No.  173 25 

GRADE  VIII 

American  Classics 75 

Bryant's  Thanatopsis,  etc.     R.  L.  S.  No.  54 25 

Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress.    R.  L.  S.  No.  109 40 

Burns's  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,  etc.     R,  L.  S.  No.  77     ...     .25 

Burroughs's  Afoot  and  Afloat.     R.  L.  S.  No.  176 25 

Cooper's  Last  of  the  Mohicans.  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  95,  96,  97,  98  .  .60 
Dana's  Two  Years  Before  the  Mast.  R.  L.  S.  No.  84  ...  .60 

Franklin's  Autobiography.     R.  L.  S.  Nos.  19,20 40 

Goldsmith's  Deserted  Village ;    The  Traveller,  etc.      R.  L.  S. 
No.  68  .    .    .    .    ,  .25 


126  APPENDIX 

Goldsmith's  Vicar  of  Wakefield.  R.  L.  S.  No.  78 40 

Greene's  Coal  and  the  Coal  Mines.  Riverside  Library  for  Young 

People 75 

Griffis's  Brave  Little  Holland.  Riverside  Library  for  Young 

People  75 

Hawthorne's  House  of  the  Seven  Gables.  R.  L.  S.  No.  91  .  .  .60 

Hawthorne's  Twice-Told  Tales.  R.  L.  S.  No.  82 60 

The  Iliad  of  Homer,  translated  by  William  Cullen  Bryant. 

Students'  Edition 1.00 

The  Odyssey  of  Homer,  translated  by  William  Cullen  Bryant. 

Students'  Edition 1.00 

The  Odyssey  of  Homer,  translated  by  George  H.  Palmer.  R. 

L.  S.  No.  180 75 

Irving's  Sketch  Book  (Selections).  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  51,  52  .  .  .  .40 
Jewett's  The  Night  before  Thanksgiving,  A  White  Heron.  R. 

L.  S.  No.  202 25 

Larcom's  New  England  Girlhood.  Riverside  School  Library  .  .60 
Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Speech.  R.  L.  S.  No.  82 15 

R.  L.  S.  Nos.  32,183 40 

Longfellow's  Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn.  R.  L.  S.  Nos.  S3,  34,  S5  .50 

Lowell's  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal.  R.  L.  S.  No.  30 25 

Macaulay's  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome.  R.  L.  S.  No.  45 25 

Masterpieces  of  American  Literature 1.00 

Moores's  Christopher  Columbus.  R.  L.  S.  No.  214.  •  •  •  .  -25 

Moores's  Abraham  Lincoln.  R.  L.  S.  No.  185 25 

Parton's  Captains  of  Industry.  R.  L.  S.  No.  197 25 

Repplier's  Book  of  Famous  Verse.  Riverside  Library  for  Young 

People 75 

Riverside  Art  Series.  12  volumes,  each,  School  Edition  ...  .50 

Correggio,  Greek  Sculpture,  Landseer,  Michelaugelo,  Millet,  Murillo,  Raphael, 
Rembrandt,  Reynolds,  Titian,  Tuscan  Sculpture,  Van  Dyck. 

Riverside  Biographical  Series,  14  volumes,  each,  School  Edition      .50 

Champlain,  Cooper,  Douglas,  Eads,  Franklin,  Grant,  Hamilton,  Trying,  Jack- 
son, Jefferson,  Jones,  Lewis  and  Clark,  Marshall,  Penn. 

Schurz's  Abraham  Lincoln.     R.  L.  S.  No.  133 15 

R.  L.  S.  Nos.  133,  32 40 

Scott's  Ivanhoe.     R.  L.  S.  No.  86 60 

Scott's  Marmion.     Rolfe's  Students'  Series 53 

Selections   from   the   Riverside    Literature    Series   for   Eighth 

Grade  Reading  .     .     .     . ' 40 

Shakespeare's  Julius  Caesar.     .R.  L.  S.  No.  67 25 

Shakespeare's  Merchant  of  Venice.     R.  L.  S.  No.  55 25 

Stowe's  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.     R.  L.  S.  No.  88 60 

Tappan's  England's  Story 85 

Tennyson's  Enoch  Arden  and  Other  Poems.     R.  L.  S.  No.  73    .     .25 
Thoreau's  Katahdin  and  Chesuncook.     JR.  L.  S.  No.  186  ...     .25 
Washington's  Farewell  Address  and  Webster's  First  Bunker 
HiU  Oration.    R.  L.  S.  No.  190 25 


A  SELECTED  LIST  OF  BOOKS 

in  The  Riverside  Literature  Series 

Suitable  for  Reading  in  the  Grades 


Aldrlch.     The  Cruise  of  the  Dolphin,  Baby  Bell,  etc.     No.  124.     Pa.  .15. 

The  Story  of  a  Bad  Boy.     No.  208.     Clo.  .50. 
Andersen.     Selected  Stories.     Nos.  49,  50.     In  two  parts,  each,  pa.  .15;  also  in 

one  volume,  clo.  .40. 
Arabian  Nights.     Selected  Stories.     Nos.  117,  118.     In  two  parts,  each,  pa.  .15; 

also  in  one  volume,  clo.  .40. 

Brown.     In  the  Days  of  Giants.     No.  W.     Clo.  .50. 

Browning.     The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,  etc.     No.  115.      Pa.  .15;   clo.  .25 
Bryant.     Thanatopsis,  and  Other  Poems.     No.  54.     Pa.  .15  ;  clo.  .25. 
Bunyan.     The  Pilgrim's  Progress.     No.  109.      Pa.  .30;  clo.  .40. 
Burns.     The  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,  etc.     No.  77.     Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 
Burroughs.     Afoot  and  Afloat.     No.  176.     Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 

Birds  and  Bees.     No.  28.     Pa.  .15.     Nos.  28  and  36  in  one  volume,  clo.  .40. 

A  Bunch  of  Herbs,  etc.     No  92.     Pa.  .15. 

Sharp  Eyes,  etc.     No.  36.     Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 
Cooper.     The  Last  of  the  Mohicans.     No.  95-98.     Clo.  .60. 

The  Spy.     No.  207.     Pa.  .45;  clo.  .50. 

Cowper.     John  Gilpin,  and  Other  Poems.     No.  74.     Pa.  .15. 
Dana.     Two  Years  Before  the  Mast.     No.  84.     Clo.  .60. 
Defoe.     Robinson  Crusoe.     No.  87.     Clo.  .60. 
Dickens.     A  Christmas  Carol.     No.  57.     Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 

The   Cricket   on   the    Hearth.      No.   58.      Pa.  .15.      Nos.  57  and  58  in  one 
volume,  clo.  .40. 

A  Dickens  Reader.     No.  205.     Pa.  .30;  clo.  .40. 

Edgeworth.     Waste  Not,  Want  Not;  and  The  Barring  Out      No.  44.     Pa.  .15. 
Emerson.     Selected  Poems.     No.  113.     Pa.  .15. 

Ewing.     Jackanapes,  and  The  Brownies.     No.  151.     Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 
Fiske.     The  War  of  Independence.     No.  62.     Pa.  .30  ;  clo.  .40. 
Franklin.     Autobiography.     Nos.  19,  20.     In  two  parts,  each,  pa.  .15;  also  in  one 
volume,  clo.  .40. 

Poor  Richard's  Almanac,  and  Other  Papers.     No.  21.     Pa.  .is. 
Goldsmith.    The  Deserted  Village,  The  Traveller,  etc.    No.  68.    Pa.  .15;  clo.  .25. 

The  Vicar  of  Wakefield.     No.  78.     Pa.  .30;  clo.  .40. 
Grimm.     German  Household  Tales.     Nos.  107,  108.     In  two  parts,  each,  pa.  .15  ; 

also  in  one  volume,  clo.  .4.0. 

HaiTlS.     Little  Mr.  Thimbiefinger  Stories.     No.  201.     Pa.  .30;  clo.  .40. 
Hawthorne.      Biographical  Stories.     No.  10.     Pa.  .15. 

The  Gentle  Boy,  and  Other  Tales.     No.  145.     Pa.  .15  ;  clo.  .25. 

The  House  of  the  Seven  Gables.     No.  91.     Pa.  .50;  clo.  .60. 

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